2020 ANNUAL REPORT VISION To create the world’s foremost centre for research, graduate training, and educational outreach in theoretical physics, uniting public and private partners, and the world’s best scientific minds, in a shared enterprise to achieve breakthroughs that will transform our future.

Estelle Inack, Jason Iaconis, and Roger Melko, October 2019 CONTENTS

Message from the Board Chair...... 2 Message from the Institute Director...... 3 How Perimeter Measures Up...... 4 Research...... 6 Training...... 26 Outreach...... 32 Our Future is Bright...... 38 Advancement...... 40 Governance and Finance...... 44 Appendices...... 51

This report covers the activities and finances of Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics from August 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020.

TODAY'S THEORETICAL PHYSICS IS TOMORROW'S TECHNOLOGY MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR

The coronavirus has made the past year very difficult. The loss transform epidemiology, finance and insurance, risk of loved ones and the economic, social, and emotional impact modelling, and many other branches of fundamental of physical distancing measures have touched everyone. science. I believe that Perimeter has been fortunate, and I want to Successes like these informed a recent report from the acknowledge the efforts by Director Rob Myers and his team Institute’s Scientific Advisory Committee, an oversight body to ensure above all else the safety of Perimeter’s employees, composed of eminent scientists from around the world. students, and visitors. “Perimeter is unique in the scientific landscape, Also, as you know, a fundamental aspect of the Perimeter with a forward-looking, innovative, collaborative and model is the extensive interaction among researchers and inclusive climate,” the Committee wrote. “It has greatly students. As you would expect, these types of interactions are raised Canada’s reputation in the field of high-level hard to achieve safely in our current pandemic environment. theoretical physics, and has shown a very high return on That said, Perimeter used a number of tools and a lot of government investment, and at a fast pace.” creativity to continue these interactions between researchers I am proud of this glowing report from some of the top physics from Perimeter and around the world, both safely and researchers around the world. I want to thank the Scientific effectively. The result is that a year that threatened to be very Advisory Committee and their Chair Gabriela González for their unproductive has produced or advanced a number of physics comments and the work behind this very extensive report. breakthroughs. Perimeter is a fundamental partner in the “Quantum Valley.” The Institute’s model of attracting the world’s best researchers Quantum Valley is our quantum innovation ecosystem that and enabling them to pursue their most ambitious ideas is supports and enables research and researchers as they drive paying off. Under Rob’s leadership, the Institute continues scientific breakthroughs and develop transformative quantum to move from strength to strength in quantum information technologies that are the basis for commercial products that science, as well as in the other major areas of theoretical change lives and build economies. physics. Our researchers set the global scientific agenda in many areas, as evidenced through their highly cited papers Perimeter’s activities, including those with commercialization and groundbreaking international collaborations. potential, along with the efforts at the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, and at the Perimeter faculty continue to make many game-changing Quantum Valley Ideas Lab, combine to make the Quantum physics breakthroughs. Also, this year marked the Valley a global leader in both quantum research and in the advancement of some Perimeter projects with very exciting commercialization of transformative quantum technologies. We commercialization opportunities. A few of the developments I already have a number of quantum start-up companies in the want to acknowledge include the following: region, and we expect many more to be developed over the A team led by Roger Melko is collaborating with next few years and beyond. experimental physicists at Harvard University to improve I thank the Governments of Ontario and Canada, as well the testing and reliability of quantum simulations. Being as the foundations and donors who so generously support able to simulate quantum interactions opens the door the Institute and share our vision. The success of the large- to everything from creating new materials to developing scale public-private partnership at Perimeter not only enables new medicines. our exciting activities but also raises our national and global The visionary work by Will Percival came to fruition with brand, which has been an instrumental part of our ability to the release of the largest three-dimensional map of the attract top researchers to Perimeter from around the world. universe ever created. Through his work at the Extended In particular, I want to acknowledge the generous support of Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey, Percival $10 million from the Riddell Family Foundation for Perimeter’s oversaw an ambitious initiative to measure more than Clay Riddell Centre for Quantum Matter. The research done 2 million galaxies and quasars for the project. by the Quantum Matter Centre will help develop exciting new quantum materials that will enable new approaches for I am excited about the Institute’s work, led by Robert everything from power grids to medical imaging. Spekkens, in “quantum causal inference.” This new field capitalizes on remarkable new insights from foundational In addition to our researchers, the Institute owes its success quantum theory to determine causal relationships to the leadership of the members of our Board, Finance and within highly complex data sets. It has the potential to Investment Committees, and Leadership Council. A special

2 | thanks this year to Amit Chakma, President Emeritus of The Institute will continue to make new breakthroughs that will Western University, who stepped down from the Board this give this country an edge for decades to come – accelerating year, and a warm welcome to Susan Baxter, Vice Chairman, our post-COVID economic recovery and preparing us for what Enterprise Strategic Client Group at Royal Bank of Canada, comes next. who recently joined us. I want to thank everyone who has shared my vision and Canada, and the rest of the world, will of course make contributed to the success of Perimeter to date. I also want it through the current pandemic. The power of science, to encourage you to continue your commitment to the future innovation, and human resilience, in my mind, assure this. success of this exciting organization. The best is yet to come! Although we will come out of this experience with both mental and emotional scars, I believe that we will also come away − Mike Lazaridis, O.C., O.Ont., FRS, FRSC from the experience with new wisdom and new resolve that Chair, Board of Directors will ensure future health, happiness, and success.

MESSAGE FROM THE INSTITUTE DIRECTOR

Perimeter Institute is a place with its eye on the future. 2020, and seminars from Perimeter and other institutions around the though, caught us by surprise. world. It’s called SciTalks.ca, and we hope it will be to physics talks what the free preprint server arXiv is to physics papers. In a way we were lucky: As theorists, we have no particle accelerators to tend to, no instruments to mind. When we I am so proud of how the Perimeter community adapted to became an online institution – which happened almost the pandemic – with resilience, creativity, and heart. We pulled overnight in March – our simulations and calculations could go together, and we are pulling through. on. While our chalkboards had to stand empty, our ideas could Perhaps the biggest lesson we can take from the pandemic is follow us home. that in a universe as big and unpredictable as ours, we don’t Some of our researchers offered their expertise to biomedical know what our challenges will be. It’s clearer than ever that we collaborations as part of the worldwide effort to combat should not let the horizon of our research be set by our current COVID-19. Research continued, including stunning new problems. We have to think further out, because the horizon of results in quantum matter, quantum simulation, field theory, our imagination is bigger than the horizon of our problems. and even foundational work on the nature of time itself. We For instance, we are beginning to imagine a new wave of learned new things about the universe, with major new work technologies made possible by a much deeper understanding from the Event Horizon Telescope and the CHIME telescope. of the quantum realm. This research is poised to change the Our master’s program, Perimeter Scholars International, went world. Perimeter prides itself on spotting these moments, online. Our PhD students defended their theses on Zoom. and we are rising to meet the quantum moment with We underwent a major five-year review by Perimeter’s entrepreneurial agility. It is strategic and smart to pursue these Scientific Advisory Committee entirely online. And as you’ll opportunities. read in the pages ahead, we received a glowing report back And yet, if we only do the research we can imagine paying on our trajectory, our research, and our standing in the off, we will never move beyond the horizon set by our international scientific community. imaginations. There were other silver linings: Our undergraduate summer There is a third horizon: the vast horizon of what is possible. program actually expanded. Since we didn’t have to fly As theoretical physicists, it is our job to chart that third horizon. students in and house them, we were able to enroll 54 Somewhere ahead is a future we can’t even imagine. As students instead of 20. Conferences expanded in the same an institute, and as a human community, we should keep way. Our classroom resources were more vital than ever, and reaching for the stars. we adapted them to work better for virtual learning. Physics talks also became more important than ever – they’re the – Robert Myers, Director and BMO Financial Group Isaac essential way that researchers exchange the results and ideas Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute they’re working on right now. So this summer, we launched an online, searchable, citable platform for physics lectures

| 3 HOW PERIMETER MEASURES UP

REPORT FROM THE SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE In May 2020, Perimeter’s arm’s-length Scientific Advisory Committee, an eminent panel of international scientists, completed a review of the past five years of Perimeter’s scientific activity. Accompanied by a 290-page reference report, the Committee held 25 virtual sessions over four days, spanning eight time zones. For a full list of Scientific Advisory Committee members, see page 45.

From the Scientific Advisory Committee’s Final Evaluation Report (emphasis added):

“Perimeter is unique in the scientific landscape, witha forward-looking, innovative, collaborative and inclusive climate. It has greatly raised Canada’s reputation in the field of high- level theoretical physics, and has shown a very high return on government investment, and at a fast pace.

“PI has stayed true to its inspiring and ambitious founding mission while adapting to new opportunities and changing times. Institute scientists have made a number of landmark discoveries in several different research areas, and an increasing number of very talented and diverse young scientists have emerged from its training programs. It is greatly valued in the scientific community for the ways in which it shares new knowledge and brings the community together to collaborate. Its remarkable outreach programs bring the adventure of discovery to students of many ages and may well incubate a new generation of Curies and Einsteins.

“Perimeter has major research strengths in several exciting areas of physics that are likely to see major advances, and others that will be realized in new technologies. The institute is well-positioned for growth in these areas, and potentially to make important, long-lasting contributions to science and technology.”

4 | MEASURING PERIMETER’S SCIENTIFIC IMPACT & QUALITY A recent study shows that Canada ranks first among G7 countries in physics and space science when it comes to key measures of research quality and impact, and that Perimeter’s contribution is vital to this ranking. The bibliometric study, conducted by Clarivate Analytics, a global leader in research and data insights, assessed the impact and quality of Perimeter’s research. The study measured Perimeter’s research performance against that of Canada’s overall physics and space science research community and against that of other countries. The magnitude of Perimeter’s contribution to these results is particularly striking given that its research faculty represents a small fraction (under 5 percent) of physics research faculty in Canada.

PERIMETER'S CONTRIBUTION TO CANADA'S TOP RANKING IN PHYSICS QUALITY AND IMPACT AMONG G7 NATIONS (2019)

| 5 RESEARCH “Perimeter was among the first to recognize that the merger of artificial intelligence and quantum physics is strategic to the futures of both fields. The Institute quickly helped establish a lab in a business incubator to ensure that the basic research performed at Perimeter would benefit Ontario and Canada first. The rapid execution – from recognizing opportunity to full lab operations – could not have been achieved in any other institute.” – Roger Melko, Perimeter Associate Faculty

Perimeter archives

6 | RESEARCH by the numbers

At Perimeter Institute, we strive to achieve breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe, attract outstanding visiting scientists, and create the world’s strongest community of theoretical researchers.1

papers published in more than papers published 250 journals and on the arXiv in 2019/20 6,282 since Perimeter’s inception 743

citations since prizes and honours 290,360 inception 20 in 2019/20

RESEARCH COMMUNITY CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS,

(as of July 31, 2020) AND SEMINARS

Faculty, including 8 conferences and workshops Perimeter Research Chairs 24 12 attended by 995 scientists

Associate Faculty, including sponsored off-site conferences 22 1 Perimeter Research Chair 4 and workshops

42 Distinguished Visiting Research Chairs 289 scientific talks, seminars, and colloquia

talks (total) in the online Perimeter Institute Postdoctoral researchers 84 13,082 Recorded Seminar Archive (PIRSA)

Simons Emmy Noether Fellows views of Perimeter talks in 2019/20 25 (8 new in 2019/20) 712,271

Visiting Fellows 55 VISITORS

7 Visiting Researchers 353 scientific visitors

108 Affiliate members

1Unless otherwise indicated, figures are for August 1, 2019–July 31, 2020. | 7 Davide Gaiotto, Liang Kong, and Lakshya Bhardwaj, Perimeter archives PHASES SET TO STUN

Quantum materials research keeps revealing new states of many phases of matter that exist under specialized conditions. matter. These include Bose-Einstein condensates, a supercooled matter state that causes the material to behave as a single In the past year, Perimeter researchers investigating quantum quantum particle; new superconductors, which conduct materials have made major advances that continue a 30-year electricity with zero resistance; and superfluids, which flow trend of discovering and categorizing increasingly exotic states with zero viscosity. of matter whose quantum properties mystify, fascinate, and inspire materials scientists. At Perimeter, through the Clay Riddell Centre for Quantum Matter and other research initiatives, advances in quantum A “phase” or “state” is a form of matter with distinct properties. physics and mathematics have continued to reveal new Most people are familiar with three common matter phases: states of matter with new properties that continually push the solids, like ice and rocks, whose rigid molecular structure boundaries of what is possible in materials science. maintains a specific shape and volume; liquids, like water and whisky, which retain their volume but take on the shape of their • Faculty members Yin-Chen He and Chong Wang container; and gases, like steam and helium, which vary in improved how physicists understand “quantum spin both volume and shape. liquids.” This phase of matter exhibits an unusual form of magnetism. In a normal magnet, spinning particles line The most common naturally occurring phase of matter is up to create a magnetic field. In quantum spin liquids, plasma – the stuff stars are made from. Plasmas are similar to the spins collectively fluctuate and shift, creating a fluid gases but can produce magnetic fields and conduct electricity. magnetic field. This magnetic fluidity persists even when Over the last century, scientists have created and discovered the material is cooled to nearly absolute zero.

8 | • Postdoctoral researcher Aaron Szasz studied a type New states of matter do more than satisfy scientific curiosity. of supercooled solid material that appears to become Their unusual properties could lead to the development of a “chiral spin liquid.” “Chiral” means the structure is many powerful applications, from more efficient electricity asymmetrical – energy flows in one direction only around distribution grids to quantum computers. the edge of the material. Szasz’s recent paper on chiral Davide Gaiotto holds the Krembil Galileo Galilei Chair in spin liquids has already inspired many others, some of Theoretical Physics. which speculate that this type of material might lead to References: new types of superconductors. X.-Y. Song (Harvard), C. Wang (Perimeter Institute), A. Vishwanath (Harvard), Y.-C. He (Perimeter Institute), “Unifying description of competing orders in two-dimensional quantum • Faculty member Davide Gaiotto and Senior Postdoctoral magnets,” Nature Communications 10, 4254, 2019, arXiv:1811.11186. Researcher Theo Johnson-Freyd improved how scientists X.-Y. Song (Harvard), Y.-C. He (Perimeter Institute), A. Vishwanath (Harvard), C. Wang (Perimeter Institute), “From spinon band topology to the symmetry quantum numbers of classify another group of matter states called “gapped monopoles in Dirac spin liquids,” Phys. Rev. X 10, 011033, 2020, arXiv:1811.11182. phases.” Particles in these materials settle into very A. Szasz (Perimeter Institute), J. Motruk (UC Berkeley), M.P. Zaletel (UC Berkeley), J.E. Moore (UC Berkeley), “Chiral spin liquid phase of the triangular lattice Hubbard model: A density low energy states, which affect the materials’ physical matrix renormalization group study,” Phys. Rev. X 10, 021042, 2020, arXiv:1808.00463. properties. Gaiotto and Johnson-Freyd advanced the D. Gaiotto, T. Johnson-Freyd (Perimeter Institute), “Condensations in higher categories,” mathematics required to understand and categorize this arXiv:1905.09566. D. Gaiotto, T. Johnson-Freyd (Perimeter Institute), “Symmetry protected topological phases group of unusual materials. and generalized cohomology,” JHEP, 7, 2019, arXiv:1712.07950. THE CLAY RIDDELL CENTRE FOR QUANTUM MATTER

The promise of quantum matter is hard to overstate. Quantum Matter, made possible by a generous $10 million founding donation from the Riddell Family Charitable Exotic states of matter with quantum properties are clearly Foundation. going to be key to a new wave of quantum technologies, including superconductors, quantum computers, quantum The new centre will allow Perimeter to recruit new researchers sensors, and quantum cryptography systems. – from faculty to postdocs to students – and to develop new partnerships here in Canada’s emerging Quantum Valley. But to describe, create, and control these states requires deep understanding of how matter works at its most fundamental “One of the remarkable things about condensed matter, or level. We need new theory, new tools, and new paradigms. It’s quantum matter in general, is the narrow gap between the an interdisciplinary quest, pulling researchers and ideas in from theoretical ideas and commercial potential,” says Perimeter condensed matter physics, quantum information, quantum Director Rob Myers. “It’s an area that is primed to produce field theory, mathematical physics, and even string theory. fascinating breakthroughs in the next decade.” Fortunately, these are all areas where Perimeter has existing strengths. Learn more about Clay Riddell and the Riddell Family To build on those strengths and to meet this moment, Charitable Foundation on pages 40 and 41. Perimeter is launching the new Clay Riddell Centre for

Chong Wang, Perimeter archives “One of the remarkable things about condensed matter, or quantum matter in general, is the narrow gap between the theoretical ideas and commercial potential.” – Perimeter Director Robert Myers

| 9 Laurent Freidel and Puttarak Jai-akson TACKLING COMPLEX QUANTUM PROBLEMS

Quantum simulation: It’s new, it’s game-changing, and they’re sitting on the ground. States in flight – states Perimeter researchers are on the front line. with a finite temperature, in the parlance – are more difficult but, naturally, more interesting and more widely When today’s scientists and engineers have a complex system applicable. This year, Faculty member Tim Hsieh to study, a computer simulation is usually their first step. But developed a powerful, flexible protocol for setting up when it comes to quantum systems, they hit a wall, because such finite-temperature states. Hsieh then worked classical computers simply can’t keep track of more than a with experimentalist Chris Monroe to implement the handful of quantum variables. protocol in a world-leading ion trap facility, successfully For example, superconductors are a class of special materials creating what’s known as a “thermofield double state” in which electrons flow without resistance. Researchers around in the lab. It’s a proof of concept for the protocol, and the world would love to understand this phenomenon better, it’s of immediate use to theorists: the entanglement but because the behaviour of these electrons is fundamentally structure of thermofield double states plays a key role in quantum, simulating a system of just 30 electrons requires understanding the quantum aspects of black holes. a top-of-the-line supercomputer. Simulating one with 300 • Testing the validity of quantum simulation results is vital – electrons would require a computer with more bits of memory and tricky. Associate Faculty member Roger Melko and than there are atoms in the universe. his team collaborated with experimentalists at Harvard on But there’s an alternative: use quantum bits to track quantum a validation strategy involving machine learning. First, the variables. experimentalists implemented a quantum state on their simulator. Then, using measurement data produced from Quantum simulation is the first practical implementation of the experiment, Melko’s team attempted to reconstruct this simple and powerful idea. Boiled down, it’s the practice of the state virtually in a neural network. The project was learning about complex quantum systems by studying simpler, meant to challenge the neural network, but the script more controllable ones. As it becomes practical, it marks the was flipped when Melko’s team unexpectedly uncovered beginning of an era in which simulators can tackle complex an error in the quantum simulator. The surprising result quantum problems – helping design materials for everything demonstrates the powerful role machine learning can from batteries to pharmaceuticals, and opening the study of play in understanding quantum simulation and quantum complex quantum systems from Bose-Einstein condensates to systems more generally. black hole interiors. As these Perimeter researchers lay the fundamental • The first step in any quantum simulation is setting up groundwork to push the field of quantum simulation forward, the quantum systems being studied. Systems are others are using quantum simulation to tackle problems that easiest to handle and understand in their ground state used to be out of reach. For instance, Faculty member Beni – just like it’s easiest to understand a flock of birds if Yoshida used quantum simulation to study the inside of black

10 | holes – particularly the way the information inside them gets References: J. Wu, T. Hsieh (Perimeter Institute), “Variational thermal quantum simulation via thermofield scrambled. The landmark work not only provides the first double states,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 220502, 2019, arXiv:1811.11756. verification of quantum information scrambling phenomena W.W. Ho (Harvard), T. Hsieh (Perimeter Institute), “Efficient variational simulation of non-trivial in the laboratory but also opens a new line of research: the quantum states,” SciPost Phys. 6 (29), 2019, arXiv:1803.00026. D. Zhu (U. Maryland), S. Johri (Intel), N.M. Linke (U. Maryland), K.A. Landsman (U. Maryland), laboratory simulation of quantum gravity phenomena. N.H. Nguyen (U. Maryland), C. Huerte Alderete (U. Maryland), A.Y. Matsuura (U. Maryland), T.H. Hsieh (Perimeter Institute), C. Monroe (U. Maryland), “Generation of thermofield Perimeter’s varied work in quantum simulation is a beautiful double states and critical ground states with a quantum computer,” PNAS 177(41), 2020, arXiv:1906.02699. example of how theory and experiment interact: new ideas and K.A. Landsman (U. Maryland), C. Figgatt (U. Maryland), T. Schuster (UC Berkeley), N.M. protocols make new experiments and technologies possible, Linke (U. Maryland), B. Yoshida (Perimeter Institute), N.Y. Yao (UC Berkeley), C. Monroe (U. and new experiments and technologies allow theorists to ask Maryland), “Verified quantum information scrambling,” Nature 567, 2019, arXiv:1806.02807. G. Torlai (Perimeter Institute), B. Timar (Caltech), E.P.L. van Nieuwenburg (Caltech), H. Levine new questions. This exchange, where new paradigms meet (Harvard), A. Omran (Harvard), A. Keesling (Harvard), H. Bernien (U. Chicago), M. Greiner (Harvard), V. Vuletić (MIT), M.D. Lukin (Harvard), R.G. Melko (Perimeter Institute/ U. Waterloo), new prototypes, has happened only a handful of times in the M. Endres (Caltech), “Integrating neural networks with a quantum simulator for state history of modern physics – and the result has always been reconstruction,” Phys. Rev. Lett 123, 230504, 2019, arXiv:1904.08441. revolutionary progress. DEMYSTIFYING THE A QUANTUM LEAP

Quantum simulators can be thought of as single-purpose EARLY UNIVERSE quantum computers. Like the analog computers of the 1940s, quantum simulators create a physical analog of the system under study. Like the computers of the 1940s, quantum simulators let researchers grasp problems that 10 years prior they could not even have reached for. But for all their promise and all their immediate payoffs, quantum simulators are not the end of the line. A different kind of quantum computer – a general purpose, digital quantum computer – is on the horizon. Researchers at Perimeter are helping lay the groundwork for this second and more powerful wave of quantum computation. For instance, one of the biggest challenges facing quantum computers is measurement error, and postdoctoral researcher Lena Funcke and collaborators have developed a method Christine Muschik for reducing it. Powerfully general, the new method can be applied to any operator, any number of qubits, and Associate Faculty member Christine Muschik has expanded any realistic bit-flip probability. The team verified their idea her team’s “quantum simulation toolbox,” which uses quantum mathematically, then successfully tested it on IBM quantum and classical computing to simulate the behaviours of hardware – ultimately reducing measurement error by an order fundamental particles and forces. Muschik, who leads a new of magnitude. Perimeter-IQC joint initiative called Quantum Simulations of Fundamental Interactions, is working toward demystifying the It’s a tenfold leap toward our quantum future. high energy particle physics of the early universe, the internal Reference: workings of neutron stars, and many other open questions in L. Funcke (Perimeter Institute), T. Hartung, K. Jansen, S. Kühn, P. Stornati, X. Wang, “Measurement error mitigation in quantum computers through classical bit-flip correction,” theoretical physics. arXiv:2007.03663. Increasingly powerful quantum computers make it possible to create more accurate, complete, and complex models of quantum interactions. This past year, Muschik’s team progressed on “lattice gauge theories,” which treat space as a lattice of tiny particles rather than a smooth continuum. She is already in contact with experimental physicists about testing her team’s simulations against real-world observations. “Quantum technologies are developing rapidly. That represents an enormous scientific opportunity,” Muschik says. “For future work, it would be fantastic to explore whether our hybrid quantum-classical algorithms could benefit from machine learning methods to push this technology even further.” Lena Funcke

| 11 Flaminia Giacomini CLOCKS GO QUANTUM

“There is a problem with time.” According to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, a clock will run more slowly if placed next to a massive object, like a planet That’s how postdoctoral researcher Flaminia Giacomini boils or a star. “Lower is slower,” says Giacomini. “The closer to the down the big idea behind her research. mass, the slower the clock.” This new work starts where much of modern physics starts: Next, the team layered on the quantum perspective. In with the rueful recognition that we have not one theory of quantum theory, a particle can have an uncertain position: the universe, but two. There’s the generalization of quantum until it is measured, it exists not in one position but in a range mechanics, known as quantum theory, and Einstein’s theory of possible positions. If a clock were placed next to a massive of gravity, known as general relativity. They have proven particle in such an uncertain position, then the ticking of the notoriously difficult to combine, in part because they have clock would become uncertain as well. different underlying ideas. Time is one of them. Add a second clock, and things become truly strange. The Quantum time is actually the simpler of the two: at the clocks will differ not only on what time an event happens but quantum level, time ticks reliably along in the background, and on whether an event happens at a precise time at all. measuring it simply entails looking at the appropriate clock. This groundbreaking work requires physicists to revise their Things are more complicated with relativity. concept of an “event” as something that happens at a precise “In general relativity, time is dynamical,” Giacomini says. That point in time. In this work, a moment in time becomes as is, in general relativity, a clock is influenced by what’s around it. ambiguous and probabilistic as the location of a quantum Specifically, time bends and stretches near objects with mass. particle. As clocks move past such an object, things can get messy, The implications are profound. This uncertainty means that the says Giacomini: “You can have different clocks which follow tick of one clock can happen both before and after the tick of different trajectories, and they can tick differently.” another. Events can no longer be definitively labelled first and Giacomini and her colleagues at the University of Vienna second, before and after, cause and effect. designed a thought experiment to combine Einsteinian and Moving forward, Giacomini plans to explore how factoring in quantum views of time. the observer’s frame of reference might help resolve or further First, the researchers considered what would happen if illuminate the apparent uncertainty of time. physical clocks were placed in some gravitational field.

12 | A reference frame tells you, say, whether you are on a fast- It’s a challenging project, but one with big rewards. moving spaceship with a clock or watching the spaceship “We quickly arrive at very deep questions about the nature of go by. In general relativity, it’s always possible to ignore the the world that we live in,” Giacomini says. bending of spacetime if you pick the right local reference frame. The Vienna team discovered that with the right And there’s nothing like deep questions to fuel the search for reference frame, time can once again appear precise. deep answers. Giacomini has already developed the formalism for jumping Flaminia Giacomini holds the Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat into and out of such reference frames – made tricky because Postdoctoral Fellowship at Perimeter. the relationships between different quantum reference frames Reference: can also create uncertainty. Now, she is pushing these difficult E. Castro-Ruiz (IQOQI Vienna), F. Giacomini (Perimeter Institute), A. Belenchia (Queen’s University, Belfast), Č. Brukner (IQOQI Vienna), “Quantum clocks and the temporal localisability ideas even further. She wants to build these reference frames of events in the presence of gravitating quantum systems,” Nature Communications 11, 2672, 2020, arXiv:1908.10165. into “a superposition of spacetimes,” she says. In other words, she envisions a reference frame that is both here and there, both before and after. LARGEST 3D MAP OF THE UNIVERSE

Some of the most significant gaps in our exploration of the “We’re incredibly proud of the results from eBOSS, but also history of the universe were filled in this year thanks to new of the tools and mechanisms we’ve developed to analyze the analysis from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). data,” said Percival. “They will be an enormous asset as the next generation of galaxy surveys come online.” In July, SDSS released a comprehensive analysis of the largest References: three-dimensional map of the universe ever created. At the 23 papers were produced from this research, including: heart of the new results are detailed measurements of more eBOSS collaboration, “The completed SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic than 2 million galaxies and quasars, covering 11 billion years Survey: Large-scale structure catalogues for cosmological analysis,” MNRAS 498 (2), 2020. of cosmic time, which have helped researchers make precise eBOSS collaboration, “The completed SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: Measurement of the BAO and growth rate of structure of the luminous red galaxy measurements of the expansion of the universe over time. sample from the anisotropic power spectrum between redshifts 0.6 and 1.0,” MNRAS 498 (2), 2020. The results come from the Extended Baryon Oscillation eBOSS collaboration, “The completed SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: BAO and RSD measurements from anisotropic clustering analysis of the quasar Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), the latest of the SDSS’s sample in configuration space between redshift 0.8 and 2.2,” MNRAS 498 (2), 2020. component surveys, for which Perimeter Associate Faculty eBOSS collaboration, “The completed SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey: BAO and RSD measurements from the anisotropic power spectrum of the quasar member Will Percival is the survey scientist. It’s a culmination sample between redshift 0.8 and 2.2,” MNRAS 498 (2), 2020. of 15 years of work for Percival, who is also the director of the eBOSS collaboration, “The completed SDSS-IV extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Waterloo, Survey: cosmological implications from two decades of spectroscopic surveys at the Apache Point observatory,” arXiv:2007.08991. where he holds the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Distinguished Chair in Astrophysics.

This map shows 11 billion years of the universe's history, with galaxies closest to Earth appearing in purple and blue, and distant galaxies in yellow and red. (Image © EPFL)

| 13 Davide Gaiotto and Kevin Costello, Perimeter archives MATH AND PHYSICS: BETTER TOGETHER

Kevin Costello is a mathematician. Davide Gaiotto is a more mathematicians in the building, and we have a high mathematical physicist. Together, they are a powerful concentration of physicists who are interested in math.” scientific force. Adds Costello: “We’ve even convinced some of the very pure For centuries – at least as far back as Newton inventing mathematicians to talk about quantum field theory.” In the calculus to make classical mechanics work – math and summer of 2019, the pair helped organize a workshop called physics have worked alongside, against, and across each “QFT for Mathematicians,” which – to their delight – attracted other. The boundaries between them have proven blurry and some high-level participants. shifting, and are sometimes fiercely defended. Physicists and “We are making a concrete effort to make things happen,” mathematicians do not normally work hand in hand. says Gaiotto. “These collaborations are not just accidental. But at Perimeter, it’s different. Costello and Gaiotto work On the other hand, it’s not that I think math needs to become mostly together – in fact, they hold a pair of prestigious named more physical, or vice versa.” chairs funded by the Krembil Foundation. Their collaboration “Each field has its own biases,” Costello says. has produced landmark work at a rapid pace. To the pair, that’s proof of the power of true collaboration between “Each has strengths and weaknesses,” adds Gaiotto. “But one mathematics and physics – something they believe is too rare. thing I’m sure of is – we do better together.” “Other places have tried to bring math and physics together, Kevin Costello holds the Krembil William Rowan Hamilton but I’m not sure if they’ve been successful,” says Costello. Chair in Theoretical Physics, and Davide Gaiotto holds the Krembil Galileo Galilei Chair in Theoretical Physics. “But at Perimeter our students are all here, together,” Gaiotto says. “And not just the students. We are getting

14 | CAN PHYSICS HELP IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19?

Cosmologists are not going to be the ones who defeat COVID-19. But as the novel coronavirus pandemic began to sweep the world in the spring of 2020, many researchers at Perimeter volunteered to use their skills in mathematics, modelling software, and problem solving to support health science researchers. Here are a few of the results: MUTATION TRACKING SOFTWARE LOCAL OUTBREAK MODELLING

Faculty member Kendrick Smith is a cosmologist who’s a world expert Associate Faculty member Niayesh Afshordi is an in developing mathematical techniques and software that extract astrophysicist who describes himself as obsessed fundamental physics from astronomical data. During the pandemic, with observational hints about the dark universe. Like Smith put his skills at the service of researchers from McMaster astronomers finding out how dark matter and dark University and Sunnybrook Hospital, helping them develop a software energy work by studying galaxy surveys, Afshordi pipeline for genetic sequencing of COVID-19 virus samples. The and his collaborators from the University of Waterloo software, called SIGNAL, quickly became the main genetic sequencing and computational science giant Wolfram Research software used in Ontario to better understand the virus’s spread. analyzed the entire set of local US COVID-19 epidemics to pinpoint their drivers. Kendrick Smith holds the Daniel Family James Peebles Chair in Theoretical Physics. Then, the team used statistical techniques from

Reference: J.A. Nasir (McMaster), R.A. Kozak (Sunnybrook), P. Aftanas (Sunnybrook), A.R. Raphenya cosmology to build a model of town-by-town, county- (McMaster), K.M. Smith (Perimeter Institute), F. Maguire (Dalhousie U.), H. Maan (University Health Network), M. Alruwaili (U. Liverpool), A. Banerjee (McMaster), H. Mbareche (Sunnybrook), B.P. Alcock (McMaster), by-county coronavirus behaviours. The finished model N.C. Knox (National Microbiology Laboratory), K. Mossman (McMaster), B. Wang (University Health is now available as a public dashboard that can help Network), J.A. Hiscox (U. Liverpool), A.G. McArthur (McMaster), S. Mubareka (Sunnybrook), “A comparison of whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 using amplicon-based sequencing, random Hexamers, and local authorities plan well and save lives. bait capture,” Viruses 12(8), 2020, PMID: 32824272. Reference: N. Afshordi (Perimeter Institute/U. Waterloo), B. Holder (U. Waterloo), M. Bahrami (Wolfram), D. Lichtblau (Wolfram), “Diverse local epidemics reveal BATCH TESTING SCHEMES the distinct effects of population density, demographics, climate, depletion of susceptibles, and intervention in the first wave of COVID-19 in the United States,” arXiv:2007.00159. To make COVID-19 testing more widely available, Faculty member Neil Turok worked with colleagues at the African Institute for Mathematical NETWORK THEORY MODELLING Sciences, or AIMS, to develop new algorithms for “pooled testing” – the practice of combining samples from many people to test them together. Postdoctoral researcher Mark Penney put his work on mathematical physics aside, joining forces with Pooled testing isn’t a new idea, but Turok and colleagues found a new mathematical biologists from the University of Waterloo way to approach it. Their method, based on the geometry of cubes with and the University of Guelph to build a computational more than three dimensions, can drastically reduce the number of tests model of how COVID-19 spreads. With an unusual needed and identify infected individuals within the pool. It is now being approach to modelling based on network theory and trialled in Rwanda and South Africa, where it has reduced the cost of on the physics of percolation, the team is developing mass COVID-19 testing by a factor of 15. powerful new understandings of how the coronavirus Neil Turok holds the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Niels Bohr Chair in percolates through our social networks. Theoretical Physics. Their work could have several useful payoffs. For Reference: L. Mutesa (U. Rwanda), P. Ndishimye (AIMS), Y. Butera (U. Rwanda), J. Souopgui (U. Rwanda), A. Uwineza (U. Rwanda), R. Rutayisire (U. Rwanda), E.L. Ndoricimpaye (Rwanda COVID Task Force), example, they believe that a strategy of vaccinating E. Musoni (Rwanda COVID Task Force), N. Rujeni (Rwanda COVID Task Force), T. Nyatanyi (Rwanda “highly connected” people – identified through a COVID Task Force), E. Ntagwabira (Rwanda COVID Task Force), M. Semakula (Rwanda COVID Task Force), C. Musanabaganwa (Rwanda COVID Task Force), D. Nyamwasa (Rwanda COVID Task Force), COVID alert exposure notification app – could achieve M. Ndashimye (AIMS), E. Ujeneza (AIMS), I.E. Mwikarago (Rwanda COVID Task Force), C. Mambo Muvunyi (Rwanda COVID Task Force), J.B. Mazarati (Rwanda COVID Task Force), S. Nsanzimana (Rwanda COVID herd immunity with far fewer vaccinated individuals. Task Force), N. Turok (Perimeter Institute), W. Ndifon (AIMS), “A pooled testing strategy for identifying SARS-CoV-2 at low prevalence,” Nature, 2020.

| 15 EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION CHANGING THE FACE OF RESEARCH

“It was a rare privilege for me to be in an institute with so many colleagues with whom I could discuss research projects and potentially collaborate.” – Katie Mack, 2019/20 Simons Emmy Noether Fellow

Many of the greatest contributions to science have come from members of previously excluded groups who brought new perspectives and insights – Albert Einstein and Emmy Noether being standouts of the 20th century. Perimeter Institute recognizes that imbalances persist, both in theoretical physics in general and at Perimeter. We are taking concrete actions to increase equity, diversity, and inclusion.

PERIMETER INITIATIVES, 2019/20 This year, we initiated a partnership with ShiftHealth to work • The harassment policy working group rewrote anti- with the whole Perimeter community to develop an institutional harassment policies with straightforward, unambiguous roadmap and action plan for equity, diversity, inclusion, and language. accessibility. • The LGBTQ+ working group presented an informative and Equity, diversity, and inclusion considerations have been well-attended workshop on inclusivity in the workplace integrated into all faculty searches. and organized a number of social events. Flaminia Giacomini was appointed to the Yvonne Choquet- • The parental policies working group identified a need for Bruhat Fellowship, one of several postdoctoral fellowships more support for parents working at home during the named after famous female researchers that were created to pandemic. As a result, Perimeter provided temporary help attract outstanding women researchers. assistance with childcare to those who needed it. The work of the Inclusive PI Platform, made up of 50 The Outreach team consulted with Indigenous teachers in members organized into 11 working groups, continues. Led northern communities and in Nova Scotia to help shape by Perimeter researchers, staff, and students, the Platform educational resources and delivery methods (more info on empowers all members of the Perimeter community to engage page 34). in equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts; build community; and In partnership with private and public supporters, Perimeter create a great working environment. Working groups address continued to offer its programs to high school students, topics including mentoring, mental health, organization of undergraduates, graduate students, and teachers at no or seminars and meetings, diversity in physics, accessibility, and little cost, ensuring economic background is not a barrier to career and parental support. access. Achievements in 2019/20 include the following: • The mental health working group organized regular lunches for Perimeter residents to discuss mental health issues and learn about the support offered by Perimeter.

“Inspiring Future Women in Science” conference, March 2020 EMMY NOETHER INITIATIVES

Perimeter’s initiatives to bring and retain more women in science are collectively referred to as the Emmy Noether Initiatives, named after pioneering German mathematician Emmy Noether, whose work underpins much of modern physics. The Emmy Noether Initiatives aim to empower and support women to enter and succeed in physics. The initiatives range from outreach to high school students, to graduate training and career development opportunities for women scientists. They are supported, in part, through the generosity of the Emmy Noether Council and donors.

16 | SIMONS EMMY NOETHER EMMY NOETHER COUNCIL Council volunteers provide expertise, donations, and other FELLOWS PROGRAM support, helping bring more women into physics.

Jennifer Scully-Lerner, Co-Chair Vice President, Goldman Sachs Leadership Council Member, Perimeter Institute

Sherry Shannon-Vanstone, Co-Chair President & CEO, S.V. Initiatives

Julie Barker-Merz Regional President, Greater Toronto Area, BMO Financial Group

Lisa Lyons Johnston President and Publisher, Kids Can Press, Corus Entertainment Inc.

Michelle Osry Katie Mack Partner, Deloitte Canada (Vancouver) Laura Reinholz Supported by the Simons Foundation, this program targets Director, BMO for Women, early- and mid-career women researchers of exceptional BMO Financial Group promise from around the world. Fellows spend periods of up to one year focused on their research within Perimeter’s Sandra Wear vibrant, family-friendly environment. While here, fellows are provided with space, unconstrained research time, and 2019/20 SIMONS EMMY freedom from teaching and administrative responsibilities. NOETHER FELLOWS2 Each fellow receives individually tailored supports that can include any (or all) of the following: teaching buyouts, travel Sayantani Bhattacharyya, School of Physical Sciences, expenses, housing, childcare, partial support to bring spouses National Institute of Science Education and Research or partners, support to bring graduate students and/or Cecilia Chirenti, Universidade Federal do ABC postdoctoral researchers from the fellow’s home research group, and extensive administrative and logistical support. Lavinia Heisenberg, ETH Zurich Many Simons Emmy Noether Fellows return in subsequent Wei Li, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of years, building ties to Perimeter and the wider scientific Science community. The program is having a remarkable impact: Katie Mack, North Carolina State University In 2019/20: Catherine Meusburger, Friedrich-Alexander University • Eight fellows and visiting fellows spent a total of 368 days Erlangen-Nürnberg on collaboration and research at Perimeter Institute. Monika Mościbrodzka, Radboud University • More than 25 papers by current and past fellows resulting from their research visits were published, written, or Sylvie Paycha, University of Potsdam updated. “There was a long-term problem that I was in the process • Seven fellows delivered 11 talks at Perimeter, including a public lecture by Katie Mack that has more than 18,000 of solving step by step, which I had already spent more views on YouTube. than two years and was planning to spend another two • The international visibility and collaborative research years. But while at Perimeter, during discussion with opportunities inherent in the fellowships played a another visitor (Masahito Yamazaki), we solved this significant role in several successful fellowship and grant problem using a different method. This collaboration was applications. almost a serendipity because before our discussion, he • Cosmologist Katie Mack finished her book The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) while at Perimeter. wasn’t working on this problem and I wasn’t familiar with The book was a New York Times editors’ choice in one crucial technique of which he is the expert.” August 2020. – Wei Li, 2019/20 Simons Emmy Noether Fellow

2 The visits of three of the newly appointed Simons Emmy Noether Fellows were deferred due to the pandemic. | 17 HONOURS, AWARDS, AND MAJOR GRANTS

• Avery Broderick, Associate Faculty and Delaney Family • Ue-Li Pen, Associate Faculty, received a Humboldt John Archibald Wheeler Chair, earned several awards Research Award, Humboldt Foundation, and a Simons as part of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration, Investigator Award. He also shared in the Governor including the 2020 Breakthrough Prize; the Einstein General’s Innovation Award as part of the CHIME Medal, Albert Einstein Society; the Nelson P. Jackson collaboration and in the 2020 Breakthrough Prize as part Aerospace Award, National Space Club and Foundation; of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration. the 2020 Bruno Rossi Prize, American Astronomical • Kendrick Smith, Faculty and Daniel Family James Society; and the American Ingenuity Award in Physical Peebles Chair, along with Associate Faculty Ue-Li Pen, Sciences, Smithsonian Institution. Computational Scientist Dustin Lang and other Perimeter • Niayesh Afshordi, Associate Faculty, earned the researchers, received the Governor General’s Innovation 2019 Buchalter Cosmology Prize — marking the sixth Award as part of the CHIME collaboration. Smith was also consecutive year the prize has recognized Perimeter awarded the 2020 New Horizons in Physics Prize from the research. Breakthrough Foundation.

• Kevin Costello, Faculty and Krembil William Rowan • Sebastian Steinhaus, postdoctoral researcher, won a Hamilton Chair, won the Eisenbud Prize for Mathematical prestigious €1 million research grant from the German Physics, American Mathematical Society, and was named Research Foundation’s Emmy Noether Programme. an Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy. • Pedro Vieira, Faculty and Clay Riddell Paul Dirac Chair, • Matthew Johnson, Associate Faculty, was a member received a renewal of the Simons Non-Perturbative of the Quantum Simulators for Fundamental Physics Bootstrap Collaboration – Large International Group Grant Consortium that received a major grant from the UK as principal investigator, and the 2020 New Horizons in Science and Technology Facilities Council. Physics Prize from the Breakthrough Foundation.

• Luis Lehner, Faculty Chair, was named to the 2019 TD • Huan Yang, Associate Faculty, received the University of list of the 10 most influential Hispanic Canadians. Guelph CEPS Assistant Professor Research Excellence Award. • Christine Muschik, Associate Faculty, earned a Sloan Research Fellowship for outstanding early-career In 2019/20, Perimeter scientists were awarded $1.45 million researchers, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and was named in new research grants from the Natural Sciences and an Azrieli Global Scholar for exceptional early-career Engineering Research Council of Canada, as well as grants researchers, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. and awards from other organizations.

18 | PERIMETER RESEARCHERS RECOGNIZED EISENBUD PRIZE AWARDED TO COSTELLO Perimeter Faculty member was just as much about his collaborators and Perimeter’s Kevin Costello was awarded research environment. “It’s something that Perimeter does the 2020 Leonard Eisenbud really well, this interdisciplinary research between math and Prize for Mathematics and physics,” Costello said. Physics from the American Originally from Cork, Ireland, Costello was also admitted as Mathematical Society for an Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy this year. his influential work to bring The Royal Irish Academy is an independent forum founded mathematics and physics in 1785, and election to membership of the Academy is closer together. Costello, who considered the highest academic distinction in Ireland. holds the Krembil William Rowan Hamilton Chair, is a leading Honorary membership is usually reserved for academics who mathematical physicist whose research uses tools from have made a major contribution to their disciplines but who do mathematics to explore string theory and quantum field theory. not live in Ireland. “He is respected by mathematicians and physicists alike and “It is said that the book of nature is written in the language plays a unique role in breaking new and fertile ground on which of mathematics, and no one speaks that language more the two communities can jointly develop directions of research, eloquently than Kevin Costello,” said Perimeter Director Rob even while coming to a fuller understanding of important Myers. “His work is exactly the kind of research Perimeter known phenomena,” the Eisenbud citation states. strives for: bold, ambitious, and deep.” Costello said it was a great honour to receive the prize, which is awarded every third year, but was quick to say that the prize

CHIME RECEIVES GOVERNOR GENERAL’S INNOVATION AWARD Perimeter Faculty member hundreds of fast radio bursts, powerful signals emanating Kendrick Smith, Associate from deep space. The entire CHIME team, which includes Faculty member Ue-Li Pen, more than 50 scientists from Perimeter, McGill University, the Computational Scientist Dustin University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, and Lang, and PhD students the National Research Council of Canada, was honoured for Masoud Rafiei-Ravandi and its work with the 2020 Governor General’s Innovation Award. Utkarsh Giri are all part of the “CHIME is a remarkable Canadian success story that is Canadian Hydrogen Intensity transforming our understanding of fast radio bursts, and has Mapping Experiment (CHIME) the potential to do much more,” said Perimeter Director Rob collaboration. CHIME is an innovative radio telescope that Myers. “We’re proud to be contributing to that success.” has electrified the field of radio astronomy by detecting

MUSCHIK NAMED AZRIELI GLOBAL SCHOLAR Associate Faculty member Muschik is also an assistant professor at the University of Christine Muschik has been Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing. As an Azrieli named a Azrieli Global Scholar Scholar, she will expand her work in quantum simulation to by the Canadian Institute for explore fundamental mysteries about the origins and nature of Advanced Research (CIFAR) physical reality itself. for 2020-22. The prestigious “Consider a question like, ‘Why does the universe have more program empowers early- matter than antimatter?’ That’s a question about why we career researchers to move even exist,” she says. “Working with CIFAR – as well as with beyond their own realms the Perimeter and the University of Waterloo – presents an of expertise; to collaborate with researchers from other amazing opportunity to explore these kinds of big questions disciplines; and to find deeper, broader, and more complex from many different perspectives.” answers to major scientific challenges.

| 19 RESEARCH COMMUNITY

FACULTY AND ASSOCIATE FACULTY

In 2019/20, Perimeter Institute was home to 24 faculty members across nine research areas. Perimeter welcomed one new associate faculty member, Sergey Sibiryakov, who is cross-appointed with McMaster University, bringing the total to 22 associate faculty jointly appointed with nine partner universities across Canada. For a full list of faculty and associate faculty, including biographies, see pages 51-58.

Associate Faculty SERGEY SIBIRYAKOV

From the tiniest building blocks to the vast reaches of space, “Sergey is an outstanding addition to Perimeter’s faculty. He fundamental physics is done on a broad range of scales. Out exemplifies the cross-disciplinary research that we aim to of practicality, physicists tend to focus their research on some cultivate here at the Institute,” says Perimeter Director Rob small part of that scale. Myers. Sergey Sibiryakov, Perimeter Institute’s newest associate Sibiryakov, who is cross-appointed with McMaster University, faculty member, eschews that method. Sibiryakov’s research is looking forward to forging new connections at Perimeter, interests span the breadth of scales: from high energy particularly with young researchers. “Students have fresh eyes physics (including particle physics experiments) to cosmology, on things,” Sibiryakov says. “They start asking questions that astrophysics, and the theory of gravity. “And, sometimes, would not come to your mind. That’s very important.” more formal questions of quantum field theory,” he adds. “My philosophy is to work on what is interesting to me – to learn something new.”

Sergey Sibiryakov

20 | Mairi Sakellariadou, Sylvie Paycha, and Renate Loll at the “Emmy Noether Workshop: The Structure of Quantum Space Time,” November 2019

VISITING FELLOWS, VISITING PERIMETER RESEARCH CHAIRS RESEARCHERS, AND Named for legendary scientists whose insights helped define physics, AFFILIATE MEMBERS Perimeter Research Chairs are doing groundbreaking research in their fields. Robert Myers Perimeter engages with the wider scientific Director, Perimeter Institute community while diversifying its own by bringing BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics accomplished researchers to the Institute for regular visits in several ways. Asimina Arvanitaki Stavros Niarchos Foundation Aristarchus Chair in Theoretical Physics Visiting Fellows are appointed to renewable terms, retain their positions at home institutions, Avery Broderick (Associate Faculty) and enrich the Perimeter research community Delaney Family John Archibald Wheeler Chair in Theoretical Physics during their extended stays. In 2019/20, Visiting Freddy Cachazo Fellows spent 536 days at the Institute. Five Gluskin Sheff / Onex Freeman Dyson Chair in Theoretical Physics new Visiting Fellows were appointed, and seven others renewed, for a total of 55. Kevin Costello Krembil William Rowan Hamilton Chair in Theoretical Physics Affiliate members are scientists from Canadian universities who have an open invitation to Savas Dimopoulos visit Perimeter at any time to do research. This Coril Holdings Archimedes Chair in Theoretical Physics (Visiting) year, 18 Affiliate members were appointed or Davide Gaiotto renewed, bringing the total to 108. Krembil Galileo Galilei Chair in Theoretical Physics We also encourage applications from scientists Kendrick Smith to come as Visiting Researchers while on Daniel Family James Peebles Chair in Theoretical Physics sabbatical leave from their faculty positions at home institutes. In 2019/20, seven Visiting Neil Turok Researchers made extended visits for a total of Director Emeritus 953 research days. Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Niels Bohr Chair in Theoretical Physics

Pedro Vieira Clay Riddell Paul Dirac Chair in Theoretical Physics

| 21 WHAT PERIMETER DISTINGUISHED VISITING RESEARCH CHAIRS SAY

“Being a Perimeter DVRC has been wonderful for me. It allows me to work “I have visited many uninterrupted for an extended period of research centers all over time during my typically monthlong visits. the globe, and only at PI I This period of concentration is almost felt that I was submerged impossible to find elsewhere. Secondly, in the atmosphere where there are always amazing physicists at mathematicians can PI with whom I really value talking and really learn new ideas from finding out what they are thinking about.” physicists, and vice versa.” – Katie Freese, University of Texas at Austin – Yan Soibelman, Kansas State University

“Holding a Distinguished Visiting Research Chair is a great honour for me and a fantastic opportunity to take part in the magic world of PI. The free and open approach “It has been absolutely crucial to my to research pioneered by PI development as a scientist. Perimeter is a lesson from which all of has been an oasis in which research us can extract novel elements ideas have been germinated (often to be imported to our own through discussions with others), institutions. The Distinguished developed, written, polished and Visiting Research Programme is published. I’ve found nowhere else an effective way of creating a that offers anything like the amazing strong network among leading environment at Perimeter for research institutions across scientific discussion, seminars, and the globe, with exchanges focused research.” and collaborations that are of – Adrian Kent, University of Cambridge mutual benefit.” – Maxim Pospelov, University of Minnesota

22 | DISTINGUISHED VISITING DVRC RESEARCH CHAIRS CARLO ROVELLI Perimeter is a second research home to many of the world’s top physicists. Distinguished Visiting Research Chairs (DVRCs) are appointed to renewable three-year terms and Carlo Rovelli wants to turn black holes inside out. You may make extended research visits to Perimeter, while retaining have heard of him: He’s the author of one of the most famous permanent positions at their home institutions. popular science books of all time, Seven Brief Lessons on Physics. The book distills modern physics into 100 charming While here, they use the time away from their home institutions pages, has been published in 41 languages, and has sold to focus intensively on their research and, at the same more than a million copies. Or you may know him as one of time, energize our research community by entering into the founders of loop quantum gravity, a leading candidate new collaborations with resident scientists, co-organizing theory in the 80-year quest to unite general relativity with conferences, and presenting talks on the ideas they’re quantum mechanics. most excited about. In a recent report on the impacts of the program, many DVRCs indicated that their collaborations As both writer and researcher, Rovelli keeps busy. He’s resulted in new ideas and approaches, as well as published published two more books and has another in the works. His papers. continuing work on loop quantum gravity has been nothing short of field-defining. In 2019/20, DVRCs spent 294 days at the Institute. Two new DVRCs were appointed and 12 others were renewed, bringing He’s also a DVRC who spent about six months at Perimeter the total to 42. in 2019/20, visiting from his home institution Université de la Méditerranée – Centre de physique théorique de Luminy. This year’s new appointees are: During that time, he completed five papers. Rovelli said that Maxim Pospelov, University of Minnesota – School of Physics though the pandemic limited access to the Institute itself, & Astronomy he was able to carry on with online meetings and scientific collaboration that resulted in new projects. Fernando Quevedo, University of Cambridge – Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics “I think that the DVRC is one of the programs that makes the Perimeter a very special place. It motivates valuable people to The Distinguished Visiting Research Chair program is converge; it brings a lot to the young PI researchers,” he said. supported by Cenovus Energy.

Lee Smolin and Carlo Rovelli, February 2020

| 23 CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS

In theoretical physics, advances happen fast on many fronts. Collaboration and communication are essential to this effort. Perimeter plays a key role in propelling rapid research progress with can’t-miss workshops and conferences attended by scientists from around the world. Conferences and seminars are recorded and made freely available online to the scientific community. In 2019/20, 995 scientists from around the world attended 12 conferences and workshops hosted by Perimeter, in areas such as cosmology, quantum computing, quantum field theory, and indefinite causal structure. See the full list of conferences on page 62.

The last three conferences planned for 2019/20 were reorganized as online events, including a conference on geometric representation theory, held jointly with the Max Planck Institute, that attracted more than 400 participants. The interactive format of the “Quantum Gravity 2020” online conference, with 172 participants, served as a blueprint for other organizations.

WORKSHOP SEEKS TO UNIFY PHYSICS, AND TWO KEY THEORIES

Participants at the “Emmy Noether Workshop: The Structure Bianca Dittrich, a Perimeter faculty member and one of the of Quantum Space Time” gathered to tackle thorny issues, workshop organizers, said they kept the workshop’s scientific from the nature of spacetime to systemic barriers in academia. theme deliberately broad to encourage discourse between the That’s because most of the participants – all experts in various various approaches to quantum gravity that have sprung up in aspects of quantum gravity – were women. the past several decades. “This is not a women’s meeting – this is a meeting of quantum “If you have very specialized workshops, people tend to also gravity, and it’s mostly women,” said Dorothea Bahns, a just communicate in very specialized language and don’t see professor at the University of Göttingen. “For me, that’s a great the advantages which you only see if you have a bit of an experience, because I think we’ve come a long way in 20 outside view,” Dittrich said. years. I think it’s important to make this point and to convey The mix of topics was clearly well received; by the end of the this to others, to young students especially.” workshop, Dittrich had already received several requests to The workshop, which took place at Perimeter Institute for schedule a future one. “I do think it was very successful,” she five days in November 2019, brought together more than said. 40 researchers. Several participants were current or former members of Perimeter’s Simons Emmy Noether Fellows program, which provides visiting fellowships for talented women to help advance their research careers. Participants at the “Emmy Noether Workshop: The Structure of Quantum Space Time,” November 2019

24 | Adam Riess (Space Telescope Science Institute) speaks at “Cosmological Frontiers in Fundamental Physics” conference, September 2019

SEMINARS AND COLLOQUIA FROM PIRSA TO SCITALKS Constant learning, cross-disciplinary exploration, and open collaboration are the hallmarks of Perimeter’s research community. Throughout the year, scientists, students, and visitors are invited to take part in seminars and colloquia that present the latest approaches and discoveries in theoretical physics. Seminars and colloquia are recorded and made publicly available on the Perimeter Institute Recorded Seminar Archive (PIRSA). At Perimeter, virtually all talks – whether from resident In 2019/20, 289 seminars and colloquia were presented, researchers, visiting scientists, course lecturers, or conference including 56 virtual seminars, featuring speakers from presenters – are professionally recorded and archived on outstanding institutions such as Harvard University, Max PIRSA. With 13,082 talks (as of July 31, 2020), PIRSA is the Planck Institute, Cornell University, MIT, the Institute for largest video archive in theoretical physics worldwide. Videos Advanced Study in Princeton, and York University. have been seen by viewers in 179 countries around the world. Created by and for researchers, PIRSA’s design and organization reflect researchers’ need for clear categorization by scientific “This is an excellent idea, and this is exactly subfield and for logical groupings, such as by conference, where one would expect the Perimeter seminar series, or course title. The archive is free, searchable, and citable and is an invaluable way to share knowledge with both the Institute to take a world-wide lead – to be Canadian and international science communities. both at the frontier of research and at the In 2020, Perimeter received a Simons Foundation grant to frontier of communicating, sharing and support the creation of a new, international hub that expands on the success of PIRSA and aims to revolutionize the world stimulating research ideas using modern of scholarly communication in the way that the arXiv has technology. We have got a long mileage out done for print scientific papers. Directors and researchers at of printed words, peer reviewed publications 40 institutions in 21 countries wrote letters of support for the grant, based on their positive experiences with PIRSA. and the like, but it is time to rethink how Perimeter accelerated the development of this project to we do research, how we communicate in support the global research community during the pandemic. research communities.” It is now in the pilot phase and is called SciTalks (online at SciTalks.ca). This made-in-Canada video archive is home to – Artur Ekert, FRS Professor of Quantum Physics, Mathematical more than 13,000 Perimeter talks and already lists talks from Institute, University of Oxford; Lee Kong Chian Centennial Professor, four prestigious international partners (with more on the way): National University of Singapore Founding Director, Singapore CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research); the Centre for Quantum Technologies Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing at the University of California, Berkeley; the International Centre for Theoretical Physics; and the South American Institute for Fundamental Research.

| 25 TRAINING

“It’s a great time to be a physicist. It’s always a great time to be a physicist. We plant the seeds of the future.” – Donna Strickland, Nobel Laureate and Professor at the University of Waterloo, from her address at the 2020 convocation for Perimeter Scholars International

PSI students, October 2019

26 | TRAINING by the numbers

Perimeter aims to attract and develop the next generation of brilliant minds. We know that young people are the lifeblood of science, and we have programs – from our undergraduate enrichment program to our world-leading postdoctoral program – that aim to turn students into scientists.3

More than 1,000 young scientists trained since 2006

PSI graduates in 11 years, Postdoctoral researchers 84 336 including 110 women (33 percent)

PSI master’s students, PhD students from 33 countries 77 26 from 17 countries, including 13 women

26 Associate PhD students 1 master’s research student

undergraduate summer school students from Visiting Graduate Fellows 19 54 21 countries, including 20 women

3 Unless otherwise indicated, figures are for August 1, 2019 – July 31, 2020. | 27 POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS As full members of Perimeter’s community for three to five German Research Foundation’s Emmy Noether Programme years, these early-career scientists have complete research and is now head of a junior research group at the Institute freedom and are encouraged to pursue ambitious research, for Theoretical Physics at the University of Jena. Others have with opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and tenure track positions, including Béatrice Bonga, now an mentorship from senior scientists. assistant professor at Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen. Two more have been hired in the private sector: a researcher and Perimeter’s postdoctoral positions are highly sought after: software engineer at Google and a senior data scientist at from approximately 700 applications, 25 new postdocs joined Loblaws. A total of 84 postdocs spent time at Perimeter in Perimeter in 2019/20. The autonomy and experience pays 2019/20; see the full list on page 59. off: In 2019/20, of the 22 who completed their term, several earned prestigious fellowships or grants, including Sebastian Steinhaus, who won a €1 million research grant from the

Postdoctoral Researcher ESTELLE INACK

Estelle Inack works on harnessing the power of cutting-edge – where cross-pollination of ideas occurs between academia machine learning algorithms to study interesting problems in and industry – makes it an ideal place for me to foster my condensed matter and quantum computing. She was drawn scientific career.” to Perimeter because of its seminal work in quantum matter “The field has never been as ripe for breakthroughs as it is with artificial intelligence techniques, a burgeoning area of now, and it’s exciting for me personally to watch the future research that began just a few years ago. of physics unfold through Estelle’s work,” says Roger Melko, Recently, Inack and colleagues from the Perimeter Institute Perimeter associate faculty member and leader of PIQuIL. Quantum Intelligence Lab (PIQuIL) and Vector Institute “Estelle represents a new, young generation who sees the harnessed the power of neural networks to develop a future of physics as a human-computer collaboration. Her new take on what’s known as “annealing,” applicable to research combining theoretical physics with the foundations of both classical and quantum computers. Annealing is an artificial intelligence will help seed the transformation of both optimization technique: it helps computers search for the best disciplines.” option among a range of possible solutions. Inack’s neural Inack, who is from Cameroon, is in her second year of a four- net–powered version of annealing is already as good as the year postdoctoral position at Perimeter. traditional methods – proof that neural nets can be useful in hard optimization problems. Estelle Inack is the Francis Kofi Allotey Postdoctoral Fellow at Perimeter Institute. “Researchers from PIQuIL are among the pioneers in this field of study,” Inack says. “The startup-like ecosystem of PIQuIL Estelle Inack and a visitor

28 | PHD STUDENTS ASSOCIATE POSTDOCTORAL Exceptional master’s students who come to Waterloo from RESEARCHERS AND PHD STUDENTS around the world for the Perimeter Scholars International (PSI) Perimeter is an independent institution, but it doesn’t stand program are often recruited by Perimeter researchers and in isolation. Our associate programs offer select postdoctoral stay in Canada to continue their education and research. In researchers and PhD students visiting privileges, so they 2019/20, 73 percent of Perimeter’s PhD students were PSI benefit from everything from courses to seminars and graduates. workshops, plus the opportunity to collaborate with Perimeter PhD students receive their degree from the partnering researchers. In 2019/20, there were 14 associate postdocs university where their supervisor has a full or adjunct and 26 associate PhD students. appointment. This year, these included the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, and the University of Toronto. VISITING GRADUATE FELLOWS Of the 11 students who graduated in 2019/20, many went on Perimeter offers senior PhD students from the broader science to prestigious postdoctoral fellowships, including at the Max community a unique opportunity to expand their perspectives Planck Institute, the University of California, Berkeley, and the and participate fully in the Institute’s research community. In Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. Barak Shoshany, who 2019/20, 19 graduate fellows from 13 countries (including completed his PhD in September 2019, already has a tenure Switzerland, Italy, and China) visited for a total of 1,739 track position as an assistant professor at Brock University. working days, from short visits of a few weeks to stays of up Some also began private sector careers with employers such to 10 months, with the average visit lasting five months. as Canadian technology company Desire2Learn and RSJ Securities, a financial group based in Prague. VANIER CANADA Perimeter had a total of 77 PhD students from 33 countries in GRADUATE SCHOLARS 2019/20; see the full list on page 61. Six PhD students at Perimeter Institute and the University of Waterloo have received prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate PhD Student Scholarships from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada. Each receives $50,000 per year for three T.C. FRASER years. Vanier Scholarships are designed to help Canadian institutions attract highly talented doctoral students and are based on academic excellence, research potential, and Thomas Coolican (T.C.) Fraser has the type of mind that leadership qualities. can toss numerous ideas into the air, deftly grasp them, and connect them in a beautiful new pattern. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that Fraser, a graduate student in the second year of a PhD in quantum information and quantum foundations at Perimeter Institute, also loves juggling. “I know it sounds silly, but certain aspects of juggling can be understood mathematically,” he says. “Seeing which patterns are realistic, and which ones are not.” Seeing patterns and connections is also, it turns out, important to his research probing cause and effect in quantum Anna Golubeva Finnian Gray Florian Hopfmueller correlations under the supervision of Perimeter Faculty member Robert Spekkens. Fraser, who grew up in Renfrew, Ontario, wasn’t entirely sure what specialty he wanted to pursue. Then he met postdoctoral researcher Elie Wolfe, who works in quantum foundations. “Everything he was saying was new to me.” Fraser wanted to dive right in and ended up reinventing a mathematical framework for solving the so-called weighted hypergraph transversal problem. “He is clearly on track to become one of the most innovative Fiona McCarthy David Schmid Lei Yang physicists of his generation,” Wolfe says. “Perimeter’s foundational research mission is providing T.C. the perfect environment to push his own limits.” T.C. Fraser is supported by the Joanne Cuthbertson and Charlie Fischer Graduate Student Award. | 29 PERIMETER SCHOLARS INTERNATIONAL

PSI is a one-year master’s-level course in theoretical physics Of the 26 graduates, five are now resident PhD students that attracts exceptional students from around the world. On at Perimeter; others are at prestigious institutions such as completion, students earn their Master of Science degree from Stanford University, Cambridge University, and the University the University of Waterloo, and a PSI certificate. of California, Berkeley. Elizabeth Bennewitz is working with Canadian artificial intelligence start-up 1QBit, continuing It’s a highly competitive program: the 13 women and 13 men research she began with them for her final master’s project. in the 2019/20 cohort were chosen from 688 applicants. See the full list of PSI faculty and students on pages 60 and 62. Students take courses in several research areas of theoretical physics and are encouraged to explore, solve problems, PSI faculty and students quickly adjusted to online and research in disciplines outside their primary interests. learning in March, and all students successfully “Homework is not just an assignment that you do to finish a completed their degrees. Their online convocation course; it’s a great opportunity for collaboration,” says Beata ceremony in July had a silver lining: addresses Zjawin of Poland. “It’s really rewarding to collaborate with from Nobel Laureates Donna Strickland, Steven people who do different kinds of research.” Weinberg, and Art McDonald, as well as The small group of students came to Waterloo from across congratulatory messages from the Honourable Canada and from 16 other countries, leading to a rich cultural Navdeep Bains, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, experience as well. “The most interesting aspect of PSI for me Science and Industry, and the Honourable was the amount of diversity that I experienced for the first time. Ross Romano, Ontario Minister of Colleges and It was the first time I was exposed to so many people from Universities. different nationalities and different languages,” says Maryam Mudassar of Pakistan. “We put aside our differences and The PSI program was supported in 2019/20 by The Hellenic respected each other’s opinions.” Heritage Foundation, Brad and Kathy Marsland, Margaret and PSI equips students with the tools, research skills, and creative Larry Marsland, The Savvas Chamberlain Family Foundation, mindsets needed to succeed in physics, or any other field. and members of the Emmy Noether Circle. UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER ACCELERATOR This fledgling program, launched in 2018 with a gift mentors. This year’s undergraduates were chosen from more from Michael Serbinis and Laura Adams, gives talented than 700 applicants. undergraduate students an insider experience of research How exceptional are these students? Those who stayed for and a view of the many other possibilities that physics training internships were unfazed to tackle research topics spanning opens up. the breadth of theoretical physics. One student studied The summer school features a two-week academic program, entanglement in spin chains, a subset of condensed matter designed to teach how theorists approach physics. Select systems. Another looked at how galaxies and galactic clusters students then go on to a summer-long internship, working form and behave. on research projects with Perimeter postdocs or faculty

30 | The projects are advanced: Madison Tindall, who is from Academic program administrators considered Arthur, Ontario, studies chemical physics at Trent University cancelling this program for the year. Instead, in Peterborough. During her internship, she panned out for a PSI Fellow Giuseppe Sellaroli came forward with wider view of the universe. a proposal to move the whole program online. Savings on travel and accommodations allowed “I’m focused on uncovering the gravitational wave background for 54 students to participate, compared with 20 through comparing gravitational wave data with existing students in 2019. backgrounds and maps,” she says. “We’re trying to replicate the results of a paper that did a similar thing, matching The Summer Undergraduate Accelerator program was their plots so we can repeat their process with a different supported in 2019/20 by Mike Serbinis and Laura Adams. background or map.” CAREER TRAJECTORIES What can you accomplish with a degree in theoretical physics? When Perimeter’s annual Career Trajectories Day Plenty, and Perimeter offers a suite of events, resources, was cancelled, the People and Culture department and initiatives to help students and research trainees – from stepped up with individual career counselling undergraduates up to senior postdocs – plan their path. by phone or virtually, answering questions and Events in 2019/20 included workshops on creating a résumé helping students prepare for interviews and build and networking, as well as talks from industry leaders: Payam their CVs. Pakarha, an astroparticle physicist working in the financial sector; Chris Luciuk, head of data science at Insight; and Ella Hilal, director of engineering at Shopify. SEEDING INDUSTRY IN CANADA Young theoretical physicists acquire skills that are portable cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, and in high demand, including complex mathematics and and quantum technologies. The many Canada-based numerical methods; independent, high-level problem solving; companies that have mined Perimeter talent include Loblaws, and the ability to communicate their research through written Scotiabank, Shopify, RBC, Desire2Learn, Xanadu, BMO, and oral presentations. Perimeter produces job-ready leaders Element AI, Manulife Financial, Autodesk, and Siemens. with widely applicable skills for both research and industry. Many alumni have gone on to found companies, lead new research programs, and innovate in sectors such as finance,

HERE ARE A FEW INDUSTRY SUCCESS STORIES:

Ke Cai Gunjan Lakhlani Solomon Owerre Chenfeng Bao Kyle Tate Scotiabank Royal Bank Canada Loblaws Desire2Learn Shopify Senior Manager Enterprise Machine Learning Senior Chief Data Software Developer, Director of Data Stress Testing, Toronto Enterprise Mgt., Scientist, Brampton Kitchener Science, Ottawa Toronto

Pedro Ponte Alexandre Yale Shreya Kumar Jorge Escobado Kim-Tuyen Hoang BMO Capital Markets Touchstone Intelligent Xanadu Drop Oz Optics Associate Trading Data Marketing Data Scientist, VP Engineering Optical engineer, Scientist, Toronto Co-Founder & CDO, Toronto Toronto Ottawa Montreal

| 31 OUTREACH

“Perimeter’s resources and training have been indispensable to keeping my students learning during the pandemic . . . As a teacher, I really appreciate the thought and care that goes into making these resources usable in our continuously changing teaching/learning settings.” – Iain Braithwaite, mathematics and science teacher John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute, Guelph, Ontario

ISSYP mentoring session, Perimeter archives

32 | OUTREACH by the numbers

Great science deserves to be shared with the people whose lives it touches – and that’s everyone. Perimeter is recognized as an international leader in science outreach, striving to increase scientific literacy by sharing the transformative power of physics with students, teachers, and curious people everywhere.4

STUDENTS 59,018,050 interactions in classrooms since 2006 6,828,250 interactions in classrooms in 2019/20 956 students attended presentations in 2019/20 155 school students attended “Inspiring Future Women in Science” in 2020

exceptional high school students – 18 Canadian, 22 international 40 – attended the 2020 International Summer School for Young Physicists

TEACHERS SCIENCE FOR THE WORLD

teachers reached globally public lectures were viewed 35,688 by Perimeter’s Teacher Network 6 745,752 times in 2019/20

teachers trained at YouTube views in 2019/20 4,507 200 workshops in 2019/20 2,819,007

teachers attended EinsteinPlus YouTube views since 2009 67 teacher training camp in 2019/20 10,578,792

countries in which Perimeter educational resources 118 have been used

in-class science resources 110 available to teachers across Canada and around the world 25 resources translated into French

4 Unless otherwise indicated, figures are since Perimeter’s inception. | 33 EINSTEINPLUS AND TEACHER WORKSHOPS

EinsteinPlus is Perimeter’s flagship teacher training experience every physics teacher should be signing up for,” said Canadian – a week-long professional development opportunity that teacher Christopher Sarkonak. brings modern physics to life, often delivered by the very In addition, Perimeter offered 200 teacher workshops, researchers who are making discoveries in the field today. including several in French, on everything from gravitational The value of EinsteinPlus is exponential: Since its inception, waves to black holes, from climate change to curved more than 700 teachers from 43 countries have attended, spacetime. taking inspiring ideas, new strategies, and educational Because EinsteinPlus was offered online, Perimeter resources home to share with students in their classrooms and was able to expand the number of teachers who with other teachers in their communities. attended to 67, from 36 last year. Teachers who had Though EinsteinPlus was not held in person in 2020, the not been able to leave their families for in-person enthusiasm for this popular program did not wane. “The Online sessions were able to attend this online version. Physics Teacher Camp has given me a lot of material and Outreach teams also quickly created and delivered ideas for teaching. The topics are of high interest to students 24 subject-specific online workshops for teachers, and I really enjoyed attending. I highly recommend it,” said with a focus on helping them create lesson plans Denise Gurer from the United States. “The PI Online Physics and activities that work well in virtual classrooms. Teacher Camp was an awesome experience that left me with EinsteinPlus is supported by the Power Corporation of tons of ways to improve my classroom! This is something Canada.

COLLABORATING WITH INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES

Perimeter Institute is honoured to be invited into Indigenous in March held workshops at the Matawa Teacher Conference communities to participate in teacher professional development, in Thunder Bay. Working with First Nations, Métis, and sharing information and learning more about Indigenous ways Inuit educators is an extremely rewarding and reciprocal of knowing. Since 2016, Perimeter has participated in over experience. The Outreach team continues to learn from 25 teacher training workshops in Indigenous communities, teachers, students, and communities to authentically integrate collaborating with more than 450 teachers. Indigenous ways of knowing into educational resources and workshops. In February 2020, the educational outreach team visited Iqaluit for a three-day workshop with all area STEM teachers, and

34 | EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

Perimeter’s educational resources have been used across learning; new black hole resources and breakout activities for Canada and in 117 other countries around the world. Digital use in classrooms; and three new French and, funded by the resources designed to help teachers explain a range of American Physical Society, six new Portuguese translations of important physics topics – and science more broadly – are resource kits. available for grades 5-12. Each resource includes lesson The Outreach team quickly created “Adapting to plans, hands-on activities and demonstrations, background Online Classrooms” – suggested strategies for information for teachers, and original Perimeter videos, all adapting Perimeter resources and other classroom directly connected to science curricula. lesson plans for the virtual classroom. The strategies Resources developed in 2019/20 include Tools for Teaching are available online in English, French, and Science, a guide for teachers striving to improve student Portuguese.

INTERNATIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL FOR YOUNG PHYSICISTS

The screen showed an opaque tube, capped at both ends, Siena Castellon (2018) has been named a United Nations with four pieces of rope hanging from its sides: It looked 2020 Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals. simple, but for nearly an hour, a group of 40 teenagers grew This year, ISSYP looked a little different: It was held increasingly perplexed at its inner workings. Tug on any given entirely online, with lessons presented via Zoom string, and the other ones get pulled into the tube. How were and augmented with virtual interactives. Half the they connected inside? They were determined to find out. students hailed from across Canada, with the other The black tube contains the essence of science – a set half logging in from international locales (selected of physical phenomena that invite curiosity, hypothesis from applicants in the same time zones as Canada generation, and testing. It’s a staple that’s often used to to simplify coordination). kick off Perimeter’s International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP), an annual, gender-balanced program that The 2019/20 session of ISSYP was made possible by the invites students interested in physics to immerse themselves in support of the RBC Foundation, the Presenting Partner. Perimeter’s environment. ISSYP is a two-week intensive program, with physics lectures on topics including relativity and quantum mechanics interspersed with fun activities and socializing. And though this year the students never met in person, they all espoused the same curiosity and excitement for physics. The impacts of the program can be felt widely and for many years. This year, participant Ólin Costa, a 17-year-old from Brasília, Brazil, plans to take his newfound problem-solving techniques and use them to help tutor other students at his school through a program called Project Feynman. “The knowledge which I got here in ISSYP will certainly help me to improve my classes, and help me to help people,” he said. Many ISSYP participants go on to excel in STEM education and careers. Gerardo de Jesus Saenz (2008) founded Territorium, a tech company focused on changing education. With offices in the United States, Mexico, and Colombia, Territorium has more than one million users. Alumni Arunima Sen (2019) and Anna MacLennan (2020) have both been named in The Mars Generation’s 24 under 24 Leaders and Innovators in STEAM and Space Awards, while

| 35 INSPIRING FUTURE WOMEN IN SCIENCE

The speakers were extraordinary: A theoretical astrophysicist and dynamic science communicator with an upcoming book about the end of the universe. A Canadian CEO whose STEM background helps guide an automobile parts manufacturing company with more than 29,000 employees in 17 countries. A biologist studying a difficult-to-treat type of breast cancer that is most prevalent in young Black women. They also all happened to be women. At Perimeter’s annual “Inspiring Future Women in Science” conference, 155 high school students heard from an impressive range of speakers, panellists, and mentors, who shared their stories of science, technology, engineering, and math. The conference was also carried as a live webcast to five Ontario high schools. The panellists wrapped up their appearance by answering the question, What’s the one thing you wish you'd known in high school? Jessalyn Teed, a pilot and advocate for women in aviation, gave the following advice: “Network, network, network. Seek out community.” Data scientist Sarah Sun said, “Be curious, be bold, and be courageous. It’s okay to be scared, but stay curious.”

“Inspiring Future Women in Science” The 2020 “Inspiring Future Women in Science” conference was made conference, March 2020 possible by the support of presenting sponsor Linamar Corporation.

“I support the Perimeter Institute because I believe the work they are doing will drive ambitious scientific breakthroughs that will literally shape our future. Their commitment to supporting women in science and encouraging young women, in particular to pursue their interest in STEM, is vitally important as well to broadening the scope and reach of scientific research and development. Innovation and talent are at the heart of competitiveness for any industry, but in particular advanced manufacturing, making support of the Perimeter Institute profoundly important to the future of our sector, our economy and our world.” – Linda Hasenfratz, CEO, Linamar Corporation SCIENCE COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA

More than ever, the public needs accurate and accessible elementary school kids, to longer features that delve into the science information from trusted organizations, and the critical- current work of researchers. In 2019/20, Inside the Perimeter thinking skills to recognize it. Each year, Perimeter reaches had more than 473,000 page views and almost 260,000 unique hundreds of thousands of people in Canada and around the visitors, while the award-winning interactive website Quantum to world with high-quality science communications designed Cosmos racked up more than 1.2 million page views. to inform and enlighten. Through its websites, social media We meet and engage with audiences where they are: on channels, and partnerships, the Institute continues to be a social media. This year, Perimeter’s LinkedIn followers jumped leading source of accurate and engaging physics content. by 26 percent, Twitter followers increased by 10 percent to Across all channels, we see a growing appetite for high-quality more than 26,000, the Perimeter Facebook account grew to science content. Last year, our YouTube channel had over 2.8 a following of more than 32,000, and the Instagram account million video views, an increase of 12 percent over last year, reached nearly 5,000 followers. while the number of subscribers jumped by 28 percent. Our By leveraging the full scope of Perimeter’s online, on-location, online home for accessible and shareable science content, and media engagement activities, we continue to build insidetheperimeter.ca, features fascinating science content for understanding and trust in science. all age groups and experiences – from fun quizzes suitable for

36 | AWARD-WINNING SCIENCE TOP 10 NEWS STORIES COMMUNICATION AND OUTREACH • “Waterloo scientists help create 3D map of the universe,” CBC’s The National, July 19, 2020 Perimeter earned three gold and one bronze 2020 Prix d’Excellence awards from the Canadian Council for the • “Astronomers locate the source of mysterious cosmic radio Advancement of Education: bursts – with help from a Canadian instrument,” Globe and Mail, January 6, 2020 GOLD: • “We may have spotted a parallel universe going backwards in Best Media Relations Initiative: For leading the entire time,” New Scientist, April 8, 2020 media relations strategy for an international consortium, related to releasing the first images of a black hole. • “Global team of astrophysicists release largest ever 3D map of the universe,” National Post, July 20, 2020 Best Advertisement or Poster: For educational posters explaining how the black hole image was obtained, and • “The mix of private and public funds that built a physics the significance of the breakthrough. powerhouse,” Inside Philanthropy, August 7, 2019

Best Use of Social Media: For contests that sent • “Spacetime ‘echoes’ from quantum black holes could soon winners to two scientifically important locations: the change physics forever,” Vice, February 10, 2020 Large Hadron Collider at CERN in Switzerland, and a • “Event Horizon Telescope reveals inner workings of quasar’s mountaintop telescope in Hawaii. jet,” Astronomy Now, April 8, 2020 BRONZE: • “Machine learning could be Canada’s edge in the global Best New Idea – Creativity on a Shoestring: For free quantum computing arms race,” BetaKit, March 10, 2020 physics wallpapers to be used on desktops, tablets, • “Astrophysicist Katie Mack talks the end of the universe and phones featuring beautiful images. tonight! Here’s how to watch live,” Space.com, May 6, 2020

• “Black hole portrait wins Breakthrough Prize for Event Horizon PUBLIC LECTURES Telescope’s team,” GeekWire, September 5, 2019

From the beginning of the universe to the latest thinking on interstellar “Creating a space where researchers share travel, Perimeter public lectures continue to inspire and inform local audiences in the Mike Lazaridis Theatre of Ideas, and audiences around their thinking using everyday language and the world through livestreams and YouTube. connecting with diverse audiences makes This year’s six public lectures were “Surviving the Century,” delivered by science accessible for all. Building scientific Sir Martin Rees; Elizabeth Tasker on “The Hunt for Habitable Planets”; literacy and curiosity is so important.” “Music of the Universe” by Gabriela González; Shohini Ghose on “The Quantum Revolution”; Bryan Gaensler’s “Warp Drive and Aliens”; and – Public Lecture attendee Katie Mack’s “The End of the Universe.” The lecture series was viewed 745,000 times in 2019/20, and many lectures continue to be immensely popular for months and even years afterward. These lectures make a difference for general audiences who want to be challenged: 66 percent of attendees who responded to a survey told us they enjoy lectures that “make my brain hurt a bit,” and 98 percent said the lectures inspire them to learn more. “We try to attend as many of the lectures as we can as a family. Thank you so much for providing them. They have helped spark an interest in science and big questions for my daughters and I greatly appreciate it,” said one survey respondent. A planned public lecture by Simons Emmy Noether Fellow Katie Mack, “The End of the Universe,” was transformed into an online conversation that included a live question and answer segment with participants. The video has been viewed more than 18,000 times. BMO for Women was the Supporting Partner of the four public lectures delivered by women in 2019/20.

Shohini Ghose Public Lecture, March 2020 | 37 OUR FUTURE IS BRIGHT

These are exciting times: A revolution in quantum science and technology is in progress, spurred by the promise of quantum computing. Powerful technologies based on quantum physics are expected to transform many industries, and our understanding of the universe. Perimeter’s diversified research portfolio is positioned for broad impact, driving major advances along many exciting frontiers. In a world where scientific discovery, top talent, and technological innovation are critical to economic and societal success, Perimeter is a strategic asset that is indispensable to Canada’s future. Our new five-year plan advances our vision to become the world’s foremost centre for theoretical physics, setting new standards in research, training, and outreach.

RESEARCH We will pursue breakthroughs that shape our collective future. We will accelerate ambitious research across the spectrum of foundational physics and sharpen focus on key cross- disciplinary initiatives that are ripe for major advances, including: • Quantum matter, through the just-launched Clay Riddell Centre for Quantum Matter at Perimeter. TRAINING • The intersection of artificial intelligence and quantum science, through the Perimeter We will train new generations of brilliant Institute Quantum Intelligence Lab. minds for leadership roles, not just in physics but anywhere that complex problems demand • Quantum simulation, through growing fresh solutions. We will bring the best and partnerships with leading experimentalists. brightest graduate students and postdoctoral • Quantum causal inference, through researchers to Perimeter and provide them Perimeter’s Quantum Causal Inference Lab. with world-class scientific training. We will also: • Data-driven cosmology, through partnerships with observational facilities • Work with our university partners to like CHIME and the Event Horizon Telescope, share resources and knowledge, creating and gravitational wave observatories. These a rising tide that lifts all of Canadian partnerships open new windows into black physics. holes, fast radio bursts, and other mysteries • Strengthen ties to our more than 1,000 of the universe. alumni. • Connect young scientists with career, networking, and mentoring opportunities, inside and outside academia.

38 | INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESSIBILITY In all research, training, and outreach activities, we will actively welcome and empower groups who have been systemically marginalized from science – particularly women and girls, racialized people, and members of Canada’s Indigenous communities. Building on the work of our volunteer-led, grassroots-driven Inclusive PI OUTREACH AND SCIENCE Platform, our Emmy Noether Initiatives, and our COMMUNICATION use of inclusiveness as a measure of success for all our events and programs, we will set new Through training and support for teachers, standards for inclusion, diversity, equity, and classroom resources for students, flagship accessibility. public lectures for the community, and digital science content for curious minds, we will share the wonders of science with the world. In the coming years, we will tailor our ambitious programs to be both more targeted and further reaching. We will: • Deepen our reach across Canada to teachers and students from coast to coast to coast. • Leverage new digital platforms to distribute high-quality, accessible science content worldwide.

| 39 ADVANCEMENT

ADVANCING PERIMETER’S MISSION

“I think most of our family loves smart people, and we love what can happen when you bring smart people together. One of the things that’s really attractive about Perimeter is just how purposeful they are at developing that pipeline of talent.” – Susan Riddell Rose, Director, Riddell Family Charitable Foundation

Perimeter is supported by the Government of Canada and continue to sustain a partnership that is essential to the Government of Ontario, as well as a growing network of Perimeter’s ongoing success, and they help position Ontario private sector donors. Together, we aim to build the world’s and Canada as a leading centre of theoretical physics on the best theoretical physics institute. global stage. Our government and private sector partners know that A generous $10 million commitment from the Riddell Family Perimeter is a major asset for Canada: an acknowledged Foundation has enabled Perimeter to launch the Clay Riddell leader in the lowest cost, highest impact area of science. Centre for Quantum Matter. The 10-year commitment allows Perimeter was founded on a key insight: today’s theoretical us to attract and retain exceptional talent, bringing together physics is tomorrow’s technology. Virtually every piece top faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and students in a of modern technology has its roots in past physics collaborative environment. The Riddells were among our breakthroughs: radio, television, semiconductors, computers, growing group of private donors, and Perimeter is now in cell phones, lasers, fibre optics, the internet, GPS, diagnostic an ideal position to become a national hub for foundational imaging, and more. Future technologies will flow from the next theoretical research in quantum matter. wave of physics breakthroughs. In supporting Perimeter, our “The Riddells’ generous gift is an investment in the long partners help ensure near- and long-term competitiveness and game,” says Rob Myers, Director of Perimeter. “It will enable prosperity in the country’s future. us to bring brilliant young scientists from diverse areas, with In 2019/20, Perimeter was in the third year of five-year funding diverse ideas, together in one place. That’s how you get the agreements of $50 million each with the Government of breakthroughs that nobody can foresee. The kind that change Ontario and the Government of Canada. These investments everything.”

SUPPORTING THE VISION

Perimeter Institute recognizes and thanks the following donors who have made cumulative gifts totalling $100,000 or more since 2014, following the lead of Perimeter’s Founding Donor, Mike Lazaridis. These generous gifts have helped our $100 million private sector campaign to grow to $53 million in commitments so far.

Anonymous (1) The Peter and Shelagh Godsoe Michael Serbinis and Laura Adams BMO Financial Group Family Foundation Shaw Communications Gary Brown Scott Griffin Foundation The Simons Foundation Anne-Marie Canning The Krembil Foundation Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cenovus Energy Linamar Corporation Sun Life Financial Inc. Coril Holdings Ltd. Maplesoft John Templeton Foundation The Cowan Foundation The Marsland Family Neil Turok Joanne Cuthbertson and Charlie Fischer Pattison Outdoor Advertising Dr. Scott A. and Sherry Vanstone The Daniel Family Foundation Power Corporation of Canada and family The Delaney Family Ptarmigan Charitable Foundation Mac Van Wielingen, The Ira Gluskin & Maxine Granovsky RBC Foundation Viewpoint Foundation Gluskin Charitable Foundation Riddell Family Charitable Foundation Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc. Scotiabank

40 | PERIMETER INSTITUTE LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

The Leadership Council is a group of prominent individuals Catherine Delaney who volunteer their time, offer their guidance, and act as President, Delaney Capital Management Ltd. ambassadors for Perimeter to the business and philanthropic Edward Goldenberg communities. Partner, Bennett Jones LLP Joanne Cuthbertson, Co-Chair Brad Marsland Member, Board of Directors, Perimeter Institute Vice President, Marsland Centre Ltd. Chancellor Emerita of the University of Calgary Jennifer Scully-Lerner Patrice Merrin, Co-Chair Vice President, Goldman Sachs Member, Board of Directors, Perimeter Institute Co-Chair, Emmy Noether Council, Perimeter Institute Director: Glencore plc, and Samuel, Son & Co. Trevin Stratton Susan Baxter Chief Economist, Canadian Chamber of Commerce Member, Board of Directors, Perimeter Institute Vice Chair, RBC Wealth Management, RBC Financial Group Alfredo Tan Chief Digital & Innovation Officer, WestJet Donald W. Campbell Senior Strategy Advisor, DLA Piper We thank Carol Lee, CEO and Co-Founder of Linacare Cosmetherapy, who completed eight years of service on the Harbir Chhina Leadership Council in October 2019. Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Cenovus Energy

THANK YOU TO A FAREWELL TO A FRIEND GENEROUS SUPPORTER CHARLIE FISCHER, 1950-2020 CLAY RIDDELL (1937-2018) Perimeter Institute pays tribute to generous friend and supporter Clay Riddell was Charlie Fischer. Charlie and his wife, a geologist, a Joanne Cuthbertson, are long-time highly successful Perimeter champions who have entrepreneur in shown deep commitment and a Canada’s energy shared vision for advancing humanity sector, and a through science. community builder, Charlie was awarded the 2020 Alberta who received the Order of Excellence before his passing Order of Canada on June 17, 2020, and will be formally in 2008 for his invested at a future ceremony. Charlie and Joanne were each invested as leadership and Members of the Order of Canada in November 2019. philanthropy. A long-time friend to the Institute, Riddell’s first major gift supported the Clay Riddell Both Charlie and Joanne took a leadership role in highlighting Perimeter Paul Dirac Chair, held by Pedro Vieira. as “Canada’s hidden gem,” establishing a solid community of support in Calgary, throughout Alberta, and across the country. Joanne is a member Prior to his passing in September 2018, he of Perimeter’s Board of Directors and sits on the Leadership Council. decided to make the vision for the Centre for Six years ago, they created the Joanne Cuthbertson and Charlie Fischer Quantum Matter a reality. Graduate Student Award, which currently supports PhD student T.C. He viewed the $10 million gift as a legacy for Fraser. humanity. It will support scientists and scientists-in- “At Perimeter, our scientists are studying the forces of nature. Joanne training as they probe exotic new states of matter and Charlie are undeniably two forces of nature. We can never thank that hold the key to better understanding powerful them enough for their enthusiastic support of the Institute and their quantum phenomena – laying the foundations for indefatigable commitment to raising Canadian society,” said Rob Myers, technologies of the future. Director of Perimeter. “Joanne and Charlie’s efforts are a leading example Rob Myers, Perimeter’s Director, said, “Clay was a of Perimeter’s public-private partnership in action.” brilliant spirit, and through this gift he and his family Charlie’s passion will live on in all who have become a part of the have lit a bright path to our future.” Perimeter family.

| 41 THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

An ever-growing group of public and private donors has helped make Perimeter what it is today: a world-leading centre for fundamental research, scientific training, and educational outreach. We are deeply grateful to all our supporters.

ENDOWMENT FUND GOVERNMENT PARTNERS FOUNDER ($150M+) Government of Canada Government of Ontario Mike Lazaridis

$25M+ $10M+ Doug Fregin Jim Balsillie

ENDOWED INITIATIVES

BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair in Theoretical Physics ($4 million) Stavros Niarchos Foundation Aristarchus Chair in Theoretical Physics ($4 million) The Peter and Shelagh Godsoe Family Foundation Award for Exceptional Emerging Talent ($1 million)

PERIMETER RESEARCH MAJOR GIFTS

Clay Riddell Centre for Quantum Matter ($10 million) Centre for the Universe at Perimeter Institute ($5 million)* Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Niels Bohr Chair in Theoretical Physics ($4 million) Krembil Galileo Galilei Chair in Theoretical Physics ($4 million) Krembil William Rowan Hamilton Chair in Theoretical Physics ($4 million) Gluskin Sheff / Onex Freeman Dyson Chair in Theoretical Physics ($2 million) Clay Riddell Paul Dirac Chair in Theoretical Physics ($1 million) Coril Holdings Archimedes Chair in Theoretical Physics (Visiting) ($1 million) Daniel Family James Peebles Chair in Theoretical Physics ($1 million) Delaney Family John Archibald Wheeler Chair in Theoretical Physics ($500,000) The Ptarmigan Foundation Stephen W. Hawking Fellowship ($400,000) Cenovus Energy James Clerk Maxwell Chair in Theoretical Physics (Visiting) * Anonymous donor

CORPORATE AND SPONSORSHIP PARTNERS ($100,000+)

Cenovus Energy, in support of the Distinguished Visiting Research Chair program Maplesoft, Perimeter Educational Outreach Champion Power Corporation of Canada, proud supporter of EinsteinPlus and Perimeter’s Teacher Network RBC Financial Group, Presenting Partner, International Summer School for Young Physicists Mike Serbinis and Laura Adams, in support of the Undergraduate Theoretical Physics Summer Program

ACCELERATORS CIRCLE ($50,000+) AWARDS ($35,000+)

The Cowan Foundation The Savvas Chamberlain Family Foundation Anaximandros Fellowship Mac Van Wielingen, Viewpoint Foundation The Joanne Cuthbertson and Charlie Fischer Graduate Student Award The Hellenic Heritage Foundation Anaximandros Fellowship Brad and Kathy Marsland Honorary PSI Scholarship Award Margaret and Larry Marsland Honorary PSI Scholarship Award

42 | EMMY NOETHER CIRCLE

Emmy Noether was a brilliant scientist whose work underpins much of modern physics. Perimeter’s Emmy Noether Initiatives – funded by Emmy Noether Circle donors – support and encourage women in science.

FOUNDING DONOR The Bluma Appel Community Trust MAJOR GIFTS DIRECTORS CIRCLE ($10,000 to $49,999) The Simons Emmy Noether Fellows Program $25,000+ Harbir and Monica Chhina at Perimeter Institute ($600,000) Airlie Foundation Kitchener Waterloo Community Foundation $100,000+ Bosch Community Fund, on behalf - McMurtry Family Fund Anne-Marie Canning of ESCRYPT in Canada - The Musagetes Fund Linamar Corporation Brian Sullivan - The John A. Pollock Family Fund Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) Ottawa Community Foundation Dr. Scott and Sherry Vanstone and family $10,000+ Ildiko and Peter Paulson $25,000+ Donald and Eleanor Seaman Denise and Terry Avchen, Andrew and Lillian Bass Environmental Research Advocates Family Foundation Dorian Hausman The Boardwalk Partnership Alex White Patrice E. Merrin

FRIENDS (up to $9,999) $10,000+ BMO for Women $5,000+ $1,000+ Leslie McCarley Luis Lehner Jane Kinney and Christian Bode Mary and Ted Brough Debbie and Ian Adare Zoltan Petrany and Maria Beltramo Savvas Chamberlain Advancement W. Michael Roche D’Arcy and $1,000+ Catherine Little Family Foundation International Beatrice Snyder Jacqui Allard Foundation Jill Marshall** Jon and Foundation** Nancy Coldham Lyne Dellandrea John Attwell Maneesh Mehta Andrea Grimm Frederick Knittel The Breunsbach Anonymous donor (1) Douglas Family** Mortley-Wood Lisa Lyons Johnston Renée Schingh $250 to $999 and Robert Myers Douglas Brock Dan Petru ODC Tooling & Molds in memory of Leejay Julius Jeff Bakker Anonymous donor (1) Rick Byers Stefan and Levene Jeremy Bell and Shani Pregelj Canada Gives: Sunny Tsang Laura Reinholz and Tony Fedun $2,500+ Schnurr Family Nem Radenovic Mike Birch Mary and Lee Sauer Don Campbell Foundation Neil Steven Rieck Janice Blathwayt J. DesBrisay The Carson Catalin Sandu $250 to $999 and M. Cannell Family Foundation Rene and Janet Tom and Cheryl Hintermayer Couture John and Bridget Michael Duschenes David Cook Tielemans Matt Douglas Beth Horowitz and Pat Munson Goldman Sachs** Ben and Mona Davies Jacqueline Watty Liliane Dubois-Esnard Sheri and David Keffer Robert Korthals Greg Dick Anonymous donors (6) and Janet Charlton Peter Gillin Michael Gagnier Douglas Mortley-Wood Jennifer Edward Goldenberg Adam Gravitas Leslie Rogers Scully-Lerner** An additional 138 Michael Horgan Warren Jackson donors have Anonymous donors (2) Ed Kernaghan Nagaraja D Srinivas contributed gifts Jonnavittula of up to $250. John Matlock Jane E. Kay GIFTS OF CELEBRATION, GIFTS OF CELEBRATION, HONOUR, AND MEMORY HONOUR, AND MEMORY

Carolyn Crowe Ibele, in memory of Dr. Richard A. Crowe Mrs. Margaret Tovell, in memory/honour of Mr. David Tovell

** Supporter of Friends of Perimeter Institute Inc., a 501(c)(3) public charity in the United States dedicated to promoting and supporting education, research, and programs that expand the public knowledge and understanding of theoretical physics. This list reflects gifts received between August 1, 2019, and July 31, 2020, and multi-year commitments of $50,000 and more. Charitable Registration number: 88981 4323 RR0001

| 43 GOVERNANCE AND FINANCE

GOVERNANCE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Perimeter Institute is an independent, not-for-profit, charitable Mike Lazaridis, O.C., O.Ont., FRS, FRSC corporation governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn Chair from the private sector and academic community. The Board is Founder of Perimeter Institute the final authority on all matters related to the general structure Managing Partner and Co-Founder, and development of the Institute. Quantum Valley Investments Financial planning, accountability, and investment strategy are Cosimo Fiorenza carried out by the Board’s Investment and Finance Committee, Vice Chair and Audit Committee. The Board also forms other committees Founding member of Perimeter Institute Board of Directors as required to assist it in performing its duties. Vice President and General Counsel, Quantum Valley Investments Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Institute’s Director is a pre-eminent scientist responsible for developing and Susan Baxter implementing the overall strategic direction of the Institute. The Vice Chairman, Enterprise Strategic Client Group at Royal Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer reports to the Bank of Canada Director and oversees day-to-day operations, supported by a Member of Perimeter Institute Leadership Council team of administrative staff. Joanne Cuthbertson, C.M. Perimeter’s resident scientists play an active role in scientific Chancellor Emerita, University of Calgary operational issues via participation on various committees in Co-Chair of Perimeter Institute Leadership Council charge of scientific programs. Committee chairs report to the Michael Horgan Faculty Chair, who assists the Institute’s Director with matters Senior Advisor, Bennett Jones LLP such as program reviews, recruitment, and the granting of Jane Kinney tenure. Retired Vice Chair, Deloitte The Scientific Advisory Committee, composed of eminent Patrice Merrin international scientists, offers independent scrutiny and advice, Director: Glencore plc providing key support in achieving the Institute’s strategic and Samuel, Son & Co. objectives, particularly around recruitment. Co-Chair of Perimeter Institute Leadership Council Jeff Moody President and CEO, Gluskin Sheff + Associates Inc. Michael Serbinis Founder and CEO, League Inc. We thank Amit Chakma, President Emeritus of Western University and current Vice-Chancellor of the University of Western Australia, who stepped down from the Board on July 1, 2020, after completing two years of service.

For full biographies of the Board, go to www.perimeterinstitute.ca/people/board-directors

44 | SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE SENIOR Gabriela González Juan Maldacena Chair Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton LEADERSHIP Louisiana State University Ramesh Narayan Robert C. Myers Fernando Brandao Harvard University Director California Institute of Technology Natalia Perkins Michael Duschenes Marcela Carena University of Minnesota Managing Director and Chief University of Chicago Operating Officer Sandu Popescu Steven Carlip University of Bristol Luis Lehner University of California, Davis Faculty Chair We thank Katherine Freese of the Daniel Freed University of Texas at Austin for her service University of Texas at Austin on the Scientific Advisory Committee from 2017 to 2020. Gilbert Holder University of Illinois

David B. Kaplan University of Washington

| 45 FINANCIALS

SUMMARY OF OPERATING COSTS (refer to page 50) For the year ended July 31, 2020 (in thousands of dollars)

RESEARCH INDIRECT RESEARCH

$8,376 RESEARCH TRAINING

$2,691 $16,896

$3,386

OUTREACH

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic resulted in governments Research Training worldwide enacting measures to combat the spread of Perimeter continued to invest in innovative research training the virus. As a community, Perimeter has risen to this programs, such as the Perimeter Scholars International unprecedented challenge with resilience and flexibility, master’s program, the PhD program, and the Visiting Graduate continuing to deliver on the Institute’s mandate of research, Fellows program, each of which attract and train top scientific training, and outreach. talent – increasing expertise, advancing research, and producing job-ready leaders in many fields that drive economic Perimeter successfully transitioned to operate as a fully online growth. Expenses were 12 percent lower than the previous institution almost overnight. Theoretical physics research year owing to a strategic decision to decrease enrollment does not require labs and lends itself well to solitary focus in some programs, and a reduction in travel and in-person and group collaborations via an array of IT tools. Perimeter participation due to pandemic restrictions. Throughout the set up fully online courses for all students, and their training pandemic, Perimeter allocated resources strategically, ensuring continued. Seminars, group meetings, and conferences all that all training program participants successfully completed continued virtually and were shared worldwide. The Outreach their courses and were supported in the transition to the next team shared free resources and offered online professional phase of their careers. development to support teachers and keep kids learning.

Outreach and Science Communications Research Perimeter’s world-class educational outreach program Advancing our understanding of the universe at the most continued to offer educators classroom-ready digital and fundamental level remains Perimeter’s core focus. To that curriculum-compliant materials. The program reaches teachers end, the Institute continued to invest in Perimeter’s research and students worldwide, from the largest cities to remote and mandate, with an emphasis on supporting a robust virtual underserviced regions, helping prepare youth for high value environment. The overall 8 percent underspend from the prior STEM-based careers. The digital nature of much of Perimeter’s year was due in large part to COVID-19 travel restrictions existing content and expertise ensured the seamless transition leading to fewer in-person collaborations, workshops, to a virtual environment during the pandemic, allowing the conferences, and seminars.

46 | Institute to deliver programming for students, teachers, and Indirect Research and Operations the public at large with little interruption. The cancellation of Indirect research and operating expenditures cover the costs in-house teacher and student programs and activities due to of core support areas, including administration, advancement, COVID-19 travel restrictions was a primary contributor to the information technology, and facilities. During COVID-19, 12 percent decline in expenditures. strategic investments in new technologies were prioritized to facilitate and grow the Institute’s online capabilities and web presence. Overall, indirect research and operations expenditures remained in line with prior years.

INCOME THE LONG-TERM PLAN Federal and provincial governments continued to provide Perimeter Institute exists through cooperative and highly revenues in accordance with the terms of their grant successful public and private partnerships that provide for agreements. In the prior year, the timing of receipt of federal ongoing operations while safeguarding future opportunities. contributions resulted in additional income recognition. As of July 31, 2020, Perimeter has completed the third year of Ongoing major investments from the Governments of Canada five-year commitments of $50 million from both the federal and and Ontario demonstrate recognition of Perimeter’s value provincial governments, providing combined funding of $100 for money and strong return on investment among its public million over the five-year period. The multi-year government funders. commitments Perimeter has received since inception To complement public investments, Perimeter has been demonstrate the Institute’s strong collaboration with public able to secure significant and matching support from private partners and that Perimeter is viewed as an excellent and companies, foundations, and donors. During this global crisis, strategic government investment. Perimeter’s private sector fundraising campaign remained very In addition to government support, private funding plays a strong, generating close to $4 million to support the operations critical role in ensuring long-term viability. Perimeter Institute of the Institute, while research grant revenue from private has established ambitious fundraising goals and innovative foundations exceeded $700,000. ways to expand its sources of funds from the private sector. Private sector donations, in accordance with donor FINANCIAL POSITION requests, are either used as contributions toward operational expenditures or protected in an endowment fund designed to The pandemic adversely impacted global commercial activity maximize growth and minimize risk. and contributed to significant volatility in certain equity and debt markets. Despite market volatility over the past year, Finally, the endowment continues to be managed to enhance marketable securities earned a return of more than 3 percent. long-term financial stability through capital preservation, while The extent of disruptions to businesses globally and the providing a stable income stream that supports the execution subsequent impact on the economy going forward are difficult and acceleration of the Institute’s mandate. to assess; however, Perimeter’s financial position remains strong and resilient. Under the guidance of the Investment Committee, funds remain invested in accordance with the Board-approved Investment Policies and Procedures, which reflect Perimeter’s risk-return objectives.

| 47 48 | | 49 50 | APPENDICES

FACULTY

Robert Myers (PhD Princeton University, 1986) is the Director and BMO Financial Group Isaac Newton Chair at Perimeter Institute. A native of Deep River, Ontario, he joined Perimeter as a founding faculty member in 2001, was its Scientific Director from 2007 to 2008, served as Faculty Chair from 2011 to 2018, and became Director in 2019. Prior to coming to Perimeter, he was a professor of physics at McGill University. Myers’ research focuses on foundational questions in quantum theory and gravity. His contributions span a broad range, from quantum field theory to gravitational physics, black holes, and cosmology. Several of his discoveries, such as the “Myers effect” and “linear dilaton cosmology” have been influential in seeding new lines of research. His current research focuses on the interplay of quantum entanglement and spacetime geometry, and on applying new tools from quantum information science to the study of quantum gravity. Among his many honours, Myers has been awarded the Herzberg Medal by the Canadian Association of Physicists (1999), the CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics by the Canadian Association of Physicists and the Centre de recherches mathématiques (2005), the Vogt Medal by the Canadian Association of Physicists and TRIUMF (2012), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013), and the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Waterloo (2018). In 2006, he was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Myers has been recognized as one of the world’s most influential scientists, appearing on the Thomson Reuters/Clarivate Analytics list of “Highly Cited Researchers,” multiple times. He has been a member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in the Cosmology and Gravity program (1998-2017) and an associate member in the Gravity and the Extreme Universe program (2017-present). He has served on numerous advisory boards, including the Banff International Research Station (2001-05), the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (2012-16), the William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute (2015-19), and the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (2018-present). He has also served on the editorial boards of Annals of Physics (2002-12) and the Journal of High Energy Physics (2007-present). Myers remains active in both teaching and supervising graduate students through his cross-appointment as an adjunct professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo. He has supervised and co- supervised over 150 postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and master’s students over his career, roughly 50 of whom now hold faculty positions around the world, including at Princeton, Cambridge, and Oxford.

Luis Lehner (PhD University of Pittsburgh, 1998) began a joint appointment with Perimeter and the University of Guelph in 2009, joined Perimeter as a full-time faculty member in 2012, served as Deputy Faculty Chair from 2014 to 2017, and has been Faculty Chair since March 2018. He was previously a member of Louisiana State University’s faculty (2002-09). Lehner’s many honours include the Honor Prize from the National University of Cordoba, Argentina; a Mellon pre-doctoral fellowship; the CGS/UMI outstanding dissertation award; and the Nicholas Metropolis award. He has been a Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences Fellow, a Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics National Fellow, and a Sloan Research Fellow, and he is currently a fellow of the Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society, the International Society for General Relativity and Gravitation, and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in the Cosmology and Gravity program. Lehner also serves on the Scientific Council of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics – South American Institute for Fundamental Research and the Advisory Board of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is also the theorist in residence for the Gravitational Wave International Committee. In 2019, he was named as one of TD’s 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians.

Asimina Arvanitaki (PhD Stanford University, 2008) is the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Aristarchus Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute, where she has been a faculty member since 2014. She previously held research positions at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley (2008-11) and the Stanford Institute for Theoretical Physics at Stanford University (2011-14). Arvanitaki is a particle physicist who specializes in designing new experiments to test fundamental theories beyond the Standard Model. These experiments rely on the latest developments in metrology, such as atomic clocks and the optical trapping and cooling of macroscopic objects. She recently pioneered a new experiment that can look for new spin-dependent forces in nature at an unprecedented level of precision. Arvanitaki has also shown how astrophysical black holes can diagnose the presence of new particles through the process of black hole superradiance, giving signatures that can appear in LIGO or any future gravitational wave telescope. She was co-awarded the 2017 New Horizons in Physics Prize by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation.

| 51 Latham Boyle (PhD Princeton University, 2006) joined the Institute’s faculty in 2010. From 2006 to 2009, he held a Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship and was a junior fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. In recent years, Boyle’s research interests have spanned a number of topics in cosmology, fundamental physics, and mathematical physics. In cosmology, he recently proposed (with Neil Turok and Kieran Finn) a new cosmological model, the “CPT-Symmetric Universe” (Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 251301, 2018), in which the universe before the bang is the CPT mirror image of the universe after the bang. This model neatly explains certain observed features of our universe and makes a number of testable predictions for upcoming experiments. In fundamental physics, he recently pointed out (arXiv:2006.16265) an intriguing new connection between certain patterns in the Standard Model of particle physics and the structure of a remarkable mathematical object called the exceptional Jordan algebra. In mathematical physics, he introduced (with Kendrick Smith) the idea of “choreographic crystals” (Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 015503, 2016), in which the basic elements perform a choreographed dance that can have much higher symmetry than any instantaneous snapshot reveals, and has investigated (with Paul Steinhardt, Madeline Dickens, and Felix Flicker) Penrose-like tilings and quasicrystals, including their relation to discrete conformal invariance and holography (Phys. Rev. X 10, 011009, 2020).

Freddy Cachazo (PhD Harvard University, 2002) is the Gluskin Sheff / Onex Freeman Dyson Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute, where he has been a faculty member since 2005. Cachazo is one of the world’s leading experts in the study and computation of scattering amplitudes in gauge theories, such as quantum chromodynamics and N=4 super Yang-Mills, and in Einstein’s gravity theory. His many honours include the Gribov Medal of the European Physical Society (2009), the Rutherford Memorial Medal in Physics from the Royal Society of Canada (2011), the Herzberg Medal from the Canadian Association of Physicists (2012), a New Horizons in Physics Prize from the Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation (2014), and the CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from the Canadian Association of Physicists and the Centre de recherches mathématiques (2016). In 2018, he was selected to inaugurate Harvard’s Center of Mathematical Sciences and Applications lecture series on mathematical physics in honour of Raoul Bott.

Kevin Costello (PhD University of Cambridge, 2003) is the Krembil William Rowan Hamilton Chair in Theoretical Physics. He joined Perimeter in 2014 from Northwestern University, where he had been a faculty member since 2006. Costello works on the mathematical aspects of quantum field theory and string theory. He is the author of Renormalization and Effective Field Theory, a path-breaking monograph introducing powerful new mathematical tools into the theory of quantum fields, and co-author of Factorization Algebras in Quantum Field Theory. Costello’s previous honours include an Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship, the Berwick Prize of the London Mathematical Society, and several prestigious grants from the National Science Foundation in the United States. In 2018, he was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society (UK). In 2020, he was awarded the Leonard Eisenbud Prize of the American Mathematical Society and was elected an Honorary Member of the Royal Irish Academy.

Neal Dalal (PhD University of California, San Diego, 2002) joined Perimeter in October 2017 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he had been an assistant professor since 2011. Prior to that, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Advanced Study and a senior research associate at the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics. His research probes the fundamental physics of cosmology, the structure of the universe, and the formation of galaxies, and he has pioneered several tests of the nature of dark matter using cosmological data.

Bianca Dittrich (PhD Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, 2005) joined Perimeter’s faculty in 2012 from the Albert Einstein Institute in Potsdam, Germany, where she led the Max Planck Research Group “Canonical and Covariant Dynamics of Quantum Gravity.” Dittrich’s research focuses on the construction and examination of quantum gravity models and related topics in mathematical physics. Among other important findings, she has provided a computational framework for gauge invariant observables in general relativity, constructed new realizations of quantum geometry, and identified holographic properties of background independent quantum gravity. Dittrich has received the Otto Hahn Medal of the Max Planck Society, which recognizes outstanding young scientists; an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation; and an NSERC Discovery Accelerator Award.

William East (PhD Princeton University, 2013) joined Perimeter as a Director’s fellow in 2016 and became a member of the faculty in January 2018. Prior to that, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology at Stanford University (2013-16). East uses numerical methods and high- performance computing to study violent astrophysical phenomena – such as black hole mergers and the collision of dense stars – as a probe of extreme gravity and new fundamental physics. For his thesis, he was awarded the Nicholas Metropolis Award of the American Physical Society (2015) and the Jürgen Ehlers Prize of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation (2016).

52 | Laurent Freidel (PhD L’École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 1994) joined Perimeter Institute first as a visitor in 2002 and then as faculty in 2006. Freidel is a mathematical physicist who has made many notable contributions in the field of quantum gravity, developing spin foam models, among other things. He has also introduced several new concepts in this field, such as group field theory, relative locality, and metastring theory and modular spacetime. He possesses outstanding knowledge of a wide range of areas, including gravitational physics, integrable systems, topological field theories, two-dimensional conformal field theory, string theory, and quantum chromodynamics. Freidel has held positions at Pennsylvania State University and L’École Normale Supérieure and has been a member of France’s Centre national de la recherche scientifique since 1995. He is also the recipient of several awards.

Davide Gaiotto (PhD Princeton University, 2004) holds the Krembil Galileo Galilei Chair in Theoretical Physics. He joined Perimeter in 2012. Previously, he was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University (2004-07) and a long-term member at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (2007-12). Gaiotto works in the area of strongly coupled quantum fields and has already made major conceptual advances. His honours include the Gribov Medal of the European Physical Society (2011) and the New Horizons in Physics Prize from the Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation (2013).

Jaume Gomis (PhD Rutgers University, 1999) joined Perimeter Institute in 2004, declining a European Young Investigator Award by the European Science Foundation to do so. Prior to that, he worked at the California Institute of Technology as a postdoctoral scholar and as the Sherman Fairchild Senior Research Fellow. His main areas of expertise are string theory, quantum field theory, and mathematical physics. Gomis was awarded an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation for a project aimed at developing new techniques for describing quantum phenomena in nuclear and particle physics. In 2019, Gomis was awarded the CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from the Canadian Association of Physicists and the Centre de recherches mathématiques for his contributions to string theory and strongly coupled gauge theories.

Daniel Gottesman (PhD California Institute of Technology, 1997) joined Perimeter’s faculty in 2002. From 1997 to 2002, he held postdoctoral positions at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Microsoft Research, and the University of California, Berkeley (as a long-term CMI Prize Fellow for the Clay Mathematics Institute). Gottesman has made seminal contributions that continue to shape the field of quantum information science through his work on quantum error correction and quantum cryptography. He has published over 75 papers, which have attracted well over 15,000 citations to date. He is also a fellow of the American Physical Society and a senior scientist with Quantum Benchmark.

Lucien Hardy (PhD University of Durham, 1992) joined Perimeter’s faculty in 2002, having previously held research and lecturing positions at various European universities, including the University of Oxford, Sapienza University of Rome, the University of Durham, the University of Innsbruck, and the National University of Ireland. In 1992, he found a very simple proof of non-locality in quantum theory, which has become known as “Hardy’s theorem.” He has worked on characterizing quantum theory in terms of operational postulates and providing operational reformulations of both quantum theory and general relativity. This is seen as a stepping stone en route to finding a theory of quantum gravity. Most recently, he has proposed the quantum equivalence principle, seen as a possible bridge between quantum field theory and quantum gravity.

Yin-Chen He (PhD Fudan University, 2014) joined Perimeter in July 2018 from Harvard University, where he had been a Moore Postdoctoral Fellow since 2016. Prior to that, he spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems. He is a condensed matter researcher interested in strongly correlated systems, particularly quantum spin liquids, quantum criticality, conformal field theory, topological phases of matter, quantum field theory, and numerical simulations.

Timothy Hsieh (PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015) joined Perimeter in March 2018 from the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he had been a Moore Postdoctoral Fellow since 2015. Hsieh works in quantum matter, specializing in exotic states of matter whose physical behaviours are dictated by the mathematical structures of topology. His research interests also include quantum materials, entanglement, and applications of synthetic quantum systems for quantum simulation.

Kendrick Smith (PhD University of Chicago, 2007) is the Daniel Family James Peebles Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute, where he has been a faculty member since 2012. He is also the director of Perimeter’s Centre for the Universe. He previously held postdoctoral positions at Princeton University (2009- 12) and the University of Cambridge (2007-09). Smith is a cosmologist with a foot in the worlds of both theory and observation. He is a member of several experimental teams, including the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) collaboration – which won the 2012 Gruber Cosmology Prize and the 2018 Breakthrough Prize in

| 53 Fundamental Physics – as well as the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) and the Planck collaboration. He was awarded a 2020 New Horizons in Physics Prize, along with two colleagues. Smith has achieved several landmark results, including the first detection of gravitational lensing in the cosmic microwave background radiation. He holds a second PhD in mathematics from the University of Michigan.

Lee Smolin (PhD Harvard University, 1979) is one of Perimeter Institute’s founding faculty members. Prior to joining Perimeter, Smolin held faculty positions at Yale University, Syracuse University, and Pennsylvania State University. Smolin’s research is centred on the problem of quantum gravity – where he helped to found loop quantum gravity – though his contributions span many areas, including quantum foundations, cosmology, particle physics, the philosophy of physics, and economics. His 210 papers have generated more than 11,000 citations to date. He has written five non-technical books and co-written a book on the philosophy of time. Smolin’s honours include the Majorana Prize (2007), the Klopsteg Memorial Award (2009), the Buchalter Cosmology Prize (2014), and election as a fellow of both the American Physical Society and the Royal Society of Canada.

Robert Spekkens (PhD University of Toronto, 2001) joined Perimeter’s faculty in 2008, after holding an International Royal Society Fellowship at the University of Cambridge. His field of research is the foundations of quantum theory, where he is known for his work on the epistemic view of quantum states, the principle of non-contextuality, the nature of causality in a quantum world, and the quantification of various properties of quantum states as resources. Spekkens co-edited the book Quantum Theory: Informational Foundations and Foils, and he leads the Causal Inference and Quantum Foundations Initiative at Perimeter. He was awarded the Birkhoff-von Neumann Prize of the International Quantum Structures Association in 2008 and won first prize in the 2012 Foundational Questions Institute essay contest, “Questioning the Foundations: Which of Our Assumptions Are Wrong?”

Neil Turok (PhD Imperial College London, 1983) is Director Emeritus and holds the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Niels Bohr Chair at Perimeter. He was the director of Perimeter’s Centre for the Universe from 2017 to 2020. Previously, he was a professor of physics at Princeton University and Chair of Mathematical Physics at the University of Cambridge. Turok is a leader in developing and testing theories of the universe. His team’s predictions for polarization-temperature correlations in the cosmic background radiation (CBR) and for galaxy- CBR correlations induced by dark energy were confirmed at high precision. He pioneered investigations of many theoretical proposals, including cosmic strings, “single-bubble” inflationary universes – the basis of the multiverse paradigm – and cyclic universe models. Recently, he and his collaborators have developed a new, foundational approach to quantum path integrals, with applications ranging from cosmology to particle physics and radio astronomy. They also proposed a new picture of the cosmos – the CPT-invariant universe – giving the simplest yet explanation for cosmic dark matter. Turok founded the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, a network of centres of excellence for maths and science training, research, and public outreach spanning the African continent. In 2016, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the UK Institute of Physics and the John Torrence Tate Medal of the American Institute of Physics for International Leadership in Physics. In 2019, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is the author of The Universe Within, a popular science bestseller. In 2020, he was appointed to the Higgs Chair in Theoretical Physics at the University of Edinburgh and has been on leave from Perimeter since July 2020.

Guifre Vidal (PhD University of Barcelona, 1999) joined Perimeter’s faculty in 2011 from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, where he was a professor in the School of Mathematics and Physics. Vidal works at the interface of quantum information, condensed matter physics, and quantum field theory. He develops tensor network algorithms to compute ground states of quantum many-body systems and has proposed a modern formulation of the renormalization group, based on quantum circuits and entanglement. He is currently developing non-perturbative tools for strongly interacting quantum fields and exploring the use of tensor networks in holography. His past honours include a European Union Marie Curie Fellowship, a Sherman Fairchild Foundation Fellowship, and an Australian Research Council Federation Fellowship. Vidal is a fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in the quantum information science program and a member of the Simons Collaboration on the Many Electron Problem. Vidal is currently on leave from Perimeter at X (formerly known as Google X).

Pedro Vieira (PhD École Normale Supérieure and the Theoretical Physics Center at the University of Porto, 2008) is the Clay Riddell Paul Dirac Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute, where he has been a faculty member since 2009. Prior to that, he was a junior scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics (Albert Einstein Institute) from 2008 to 2009. Vieira’s research concerns the development of new mathematical techniques for gauge and string theories in their non-perturbative regimes. He focuses both on a very special theory known as N=4 SYM as a workhouse for developing such tools and on the S-matrix bootstrap program,

54 | which constrains the possible space of all physical theory, in particular strongly coupled gauge and string theories. He is a principal investigator on the Simons Collaboration on the Non-perturbative Bootstrap. His many honours include a Sloan Research Fellowship, the Gribov Medal of the European Physical Society, the Raymond and Beverly Sackler International Prize in Physics from Tel Aviv University, and the 2020 New Horizons in Physics Prize.

Chong Wang (PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015) joined Perimeter as a faculty member in 2018 from Harvard University, where he had been a junior fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows since 2015. Wang works on the theory of quantum condensed matter physics, including topological phases of matter, quantum criticality, quantum Hall effects and spin liquids, and their relationship to modern aspects of quantum field theory.

Beni Yoshida (PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2012) joined Perimeter’s faculty in July 2017, having initially arrived at the Institute as a senior postdoctoral researcher in 2015. Prior to that, he was a Burke Fellow at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology (2012-15), where he worked in John Preskill’s group. Yoshida’s research focuses on applications of quantum information theory to problems of quantum many-body physics. In particular, he has used the techniques of quantum coding theory to find novel topological phases of matter and developed a framework of classifying fault-tolerant logical gates by using topological gauge theories. He has also recently developed an interest in black hole physics.

ASSOCIATE FACULTY

Niayesh Afshordi (PhD Princeton University, 2004) is jointly appointed with the University of Waterloo. Previously, he was the Institute for Theory and Computation Fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (2004-07) and a Distinguished Research Fellow at Perimeter Institute (2008-09). Afshordi began his appointment as an associate faculty member in 2009. He specializes in interdisciplinary problems in fundamental physics, astrophysics, and cosmology. Among his honours, Afshordi has received a Discovery Accelerator Supplement from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, and the Vainu Bappu Gold Medal from the Astronomical Society of India. He also won first prize in the 2019 Buchalter Cosmology Prize of the American Astronomical Society, and third prize in 2015.

Alexander Braverman (PhD Tel Aviv University, 1998) joined Perimeter in 2015, jointly appointed with the University of Toronto. He was previously a faculty member at Brown University (2004-15) and held lecturer positions at Harvard University (2000-04) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1997-99). Braverman specializes in several areas with applications to mathematical physics, including algebraic geometry, representation theory, number theory, and the geometric Langlands program. He has been a Clay Mathematics Institute Prize Fellow and a Simons Fellow in Mathematics.

Avery Broderick (PhD California Institute of Technology, 2004) began a joint appointment with Perimeter and the University of Waterloo in 2011 and was named the Delaney Family John Archibald Wheeler Chair in Theoretical Physics at Perimeter Institute in January 2017. He previously held postdoctoral positions at the Institute for Theory and Computation at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (2004-07) and the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (2007-11). Broderick is an astrophysicist with broad research interests, ranging from how stars form to the extreme physics in the vicinity of white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes. He is a key member of the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration that revealed the first image of a black hole event horizon to the world in April 2019. He studies how black holes accrete matter and launch the ultra- relativistic outflows observed, probing the nature of gravity in their vicinity. Broderick is a co-winner (with the EHT collaboration) of the Diamond Achievement Award and the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, along with several other awards.

Alex Buchel (PhD Cornell University, 1999) is jointly appointed with Western University. Before joining Perimeter’s faculty in 2003, he held research positions at the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara (1999-2002) and the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics at the University of Michigan (2002- 03). Buchel’s research efforts focus on understanding the quantum properties of black holes and the origin of our universe, as described by string theory, as well as developing analytical tools that could shed new light on strong interactions of subatomic particles. In 2007, he was awarded an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.

| 55 Cliff Burgess (PhD University of Texas at Austin, 1985) joined Perimeter’s faculty as an associate member in 2004 and was jointly appointed to McMaster University’s faculty in 2005. Prior to that, he was a member of the School of Natural Sciences at the Institute for Advanced Study and a faculty member at McGill University. Over two decades, Burgess has applied the techniques of effective field theory to high energy physics, nuclear physics, string theory, early-universe cosmology, and condensed matter physics. With collaborators, he developed leading string theoretic models of inflation that provide its most promising framework for experimental verification. Burgess’ recent honours include a Killam Fellowship, fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada, and the CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics. He was awarded the Buchalter Cosmology Prize in both 2016 and 2017.

David Cory (PhD Case Western Reserve University, 1987) joined Perimeter in 2010 and is jointly appointed as a professor of chemistry at the University of Waterloo and Deputy Director of Research at the Institute for Quantum Computing. He was previously a professor of nuclear science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since 1996, Cory has been exploring the experimental challenges of building small quantum processors based on nuclear spins, electron spins, neutrons, persistent current superconducting devices, and optics. In 2010, he was named the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Quantum Information Processing. Cory is the principal investigator of the $144 million Transformative Quantum Technologies program, with $76 million in funding from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. He is a fellow of both the American Physical Society and the Royal Society of Canada. He left Perimeter in September 2019.

Matthew Johnson (PhD University of California, Santa Cruz, 2007) began a joint appointment with Perimeter and York University in 2012. Prior to that, he was a Moore Postdoctoral Scholar at the California Institute of Technology and a postdoctoral researcher at Perimeter. Johnson is a theoretical cosmologist, whose interdisciplinary research seeks to understand how the universe began, how it evolved, and where it is headed. Johnson has made contributions to fields ranging from inflationary cosmology and string theory to numerical relativity and cosmic microwave background radiation data analysis. His research has attracted competitive funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Foundational Questions Institute, and the New Frontiers in Astronomy and Cosmology grant program administered by the University of Chicago.

Raymond Laflamme (PhD University of Cambridge, 1988) is jointly appointed at the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, where he served as founding Executive Director from 2002 to 2017. He is also the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis John von Neumann Chair in Quantum Information at the University of Waterloo and the Canada Research Chair in Quantum Information. He held research positions at the University of British Columbia and Peterhouse College, University of Cambridge, before moving to the Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1992, where his interests shifted from cosmology to quantum computing. Since the mid-1990s, Laflamme has elucidated theoretical approaches to quantum error correction and in turn implemented some in experiments. Laflamme was Director of the Quantum Information Processing program at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) from 2003 to 2016. He is an advisor to the Quantum Information Science program at CIFAR and a fellow of the American Physical Society, the Royal Society of Canada, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2017. He was awarded the 2017 CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics by the Canadian Association of Physicists and the Centre de recherches mathématiques. With colleagues, Laflamme founded Universal Quantum Devices, a start-up commercializing spin-offs of quantum research, and leads QuantumLaf Inc., a consulting start-up.

Sung-Sik Lee (PhD Pohang University of Science and Technology, 2000) joined Perimeter in 2011 in a joint appointment with McMaster University, where he is a professor. He previously worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Pohang University of Science and Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Lee’s research focuses on strongly interacting quantum many-body systems, quantum field theory, and the AdS/CFT correspondence. His recent work has included low energy effective field theories for non-Fermi liquids and construction of holographic duals for general quantum field theories based on the quantum renormalization group.

Debbie Leung (PhD Stanford University, 2000) joined Perimeter in 2019. She started as a faculty member of the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization at the University of Waterloo in 2005. She is currently a University Research Chair, and she held a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (2005-15). Before that, she was a Tolman Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Quantum Information, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), after spending four months at the Workshop on Quantum Computation (September-December 2002) at the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, Berkeley, following a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the Physics of Information group at the IBM TJ Watson Research Center (2000-02). After a BSc in physics and mathematics from Caltech in 1995, she did a PhD in physics at Stanford under the supervision of Professor Yoshihisa Yamamoto and Professor Isaac Chuang.

56 | Matilde Marcolli (PhD University of Chicago, 1997) began a joint appointment with Perimeter and the University of Toronto in January 2018, after a decade as a professor of mathematics at the California Institute of Technology. She is a mathematical physicist whose research interests include computational linguistics, differential and algebraic geometry and topology, and mathematical models for cosmology and neuroscience. Among her many honours, Marcolli has won the Heinz Maier Leibniz Prize and the Sofja Kovalevskaja Award, both in 2001, and held many visiting research positions. She has also written five books, most recentlyNoncommutative Cosmology in 2018, and edited several others. She left Perimeter Institute in July 2020 to return to her faculty position at Caltech.

Roger Melko (PhD University of California, Santa Barbara, 2005) joined Perimeter in 2012, while retaining his appointment with the University of Waterloo, where he has been since 2007. Prior to that, he was a Wigner Fellow at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (2005-07). Melko is a condensed matter theorist who studies strongly correlated many-body systems, focusing on exotic emergent phenomena, quantum criticality, and entanglement. He emphasizes numerical methods as a theoretical technique, particularly the development of novel algorithms and machine learning methods for his research. Among his honours, he has received the Herzberg Medal from the Canadian Association of Physicists, the Young Scientist Prize in Computational Physics from the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics, an Early Researcher Award from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation, and a Canada Research Chair in Computational Quantum Many-Body Physics.

Michele Mosca (DPhil University of Oxford, 1999) is jointly appointed with the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at the University of Waterloo. He is a founding member of Perimeter Institute, as well as a co-founder of IQC. He is a professor in the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization of the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Mathematics. He co-founded the quantum-safe cryptography training program CryptoWorks21, the not-for- profit Quantum-Safe Canada, and the ETSI-IQC workshop series in quantum-safe cryptography, which brings together a broad range of stakeholders working toward globally standardized quantum-safe cryptography. He co- founded evolutionQ Inc. to support organizations as they evolve their quantum-vulnerable systems and practices to quantum-safe ones, and softwareQ Inc. to provide quantum software services and tools. His research interests include quantum computation and cryptographic tools that will be safe against quantum technologies, and he is globally recognized for his drive to help academia, industry, and government prepare our cyber systems to be safe in an era with quantum computers. Mosca co-authored the respected textbook An Introduction to Quantum Computing. He has received numerous honours, including the Premier’s Research Excellence Award (2000-05), the Canada Research Chair in Quantum Computation (2002-12), the University Research Chair at the University of Waterloo (2012-19), the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013), the St. Jerome’s University Fr. Norm Choate Lifetime Achievement Award (2017), and a Knighthood (Cavaliere) in the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (2018).

Christine Muschik (PhD Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, 2011) joined Perimeter in 2019, in a joint position with the Institute for Quantum Computing in Waterloo, where she has been since 2017. Muschik works on developing novel methods for quantum information processing and on quantum simulations of problems from high energy physics. She has devised pioneering protocols for harnessing dissipation (setting a new record for entanglement lifetime in 2011), for the first deterministic teleportation between matter systems over a macroscopic distance (Nature Physics 2013), and for new types of quantum simulations (Nature 2016, 2019). Her work on quantum simulations of problems from high energy physics was selected by Physics World as one of the top 10 breakthroughs in physics 2016. Muschik has received a Simons Emmy Noether Fellowship at Perimeter (2018), a Sloan Research Fellowship for outstanding early-career researchers (2019), and a New Frontiers grant for high- risk, high-reward innovations (2019). In 2020, she was named a Canadian Institute for Advanced Research Azrieli Global Scholar.

Ue-Li Pen (PhD Princeton University, 1995) joined Perimeter in 2014. He is jointly appointed with the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, where he has been a professor since 1998. Pen is a theoretical astrophysicist who studies systems where basic physical effects can be isolated from astronomical complexities. His research projects include the non-linear dynamics of the cosmic neutrino background, 21cm intensity mapping, pulsar VLBI scintillometry, and the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME). Among his many honours, Pen is a senior fellow of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research in the Cosmology and Gravity program. In 2018, he became just the second researcher at a Canadian institution to receive a Simons Investigator Award from the Simons Foundation since the program’s introduction in 2012. In 2019-20, he was part of the CHIME research team that received a Governor General’s Innovation Award and was one of the 347 members of the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration to win the 2020 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.

| 57 Will Percival (PhD University of Oxford, 1999) is jointly appointed at the University of Waterloo, where he holds the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Distinguished Research Chair in Astrophysics, and is the Director of the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics. Percival is a cosmologist working primarily on galaxy surveys, using the positions of galaxies to measure the cosmological expansion rate and growth of cosmological structure. He holds senior scientific management positions within the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), extended Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey (eBOSS), and Euclid experiments. Over the next decade, the resulting galaxy surveys will transform our knowledge of dark energy, the physical mechanism accelerating the present-day cosmological expansion rate. Among his many honours, Percival has received the 2008 Fowler Prize of the Royal Astronomical Society and a Distinguished Scientist fellowship from the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2016.

Maxim Pospelov (PhD Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1994) is jointly appointed with the University of Victoria and became an associate faculty member at Perimeter in 2004. He previously held research positions at the University of Quebec at Montreal, the University of Minnesota, McGill University, and the University of Sussex. Pospelov works in the areas of particle physics and cosmology. Since 2019, Pospelov has been a faculty member at the School of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Minnesota and a member of the William B. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute. Pospelov left Perimeter in August 2019.

Sergey Sibiryakov (PhD Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2004) joined Perimeter in 2020 from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and CERN, where he had been a faculty member since 2013. He is jointly appointed with the Department of Physics and Astronomy of McMaster University. His research interests range from particle physics phenomenology to cosmology and the theory of gravitation. He is co-author of a series of groundbreaking works establishing consistency of the approach to quantum gravity known as ”gravity with anisotropic scaling.“ Sibiryakov’s previous honours include the Medal of the Russian Academy of Sciences Prize for Young Scientists, and several grants and fellowships from Russian and Swiss foundations.

Daniel Siegel (PhD Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics & University of Potsdam, 2015) joined Perimeter in 2019, jointly appointed with the University of Guelph. Previously, he was at Columbia University, where he had been a postdoctoral fellow and a NASA Einstein Fellow since November 2015. His research connects fundamental physics with the cosmos. It spans various disciplines – gravitational physics, nuclear and high energy astrophysics, transient astronomy – to unravel the fundamental physics of compact binary mergers and other relativistic astrophysical systems as well as their implications for nuclear physics and cosmology.

Ben Webster (PhD University of California, Berkeley, 2007) joined Perimeter in July 2017, jointly appointed with the Department of Pure Mathematics at the University of Waterloo. He previously held faculty positions at the University of Virginia, Northeastern University, and the University of Oregon. Webster’s research centres on connections between representation theory, mathematical physics, geometry, and topology, including knot homology, the geometry of symplectic singularities, and categorification. Among his honours, he has received a Sloan Research Fellowship and a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation in the United States. In 2019, he was awarded the Golden Jubilee Research Excellence award from the University of Waterloo’s Faculty of Mathematics.

Huan Yang (PhD California Institute of Technology, 2013) joined Perimeter in September 2017 from Princeton University, where he stayed for one year as a postdoctoral fellow. He is jointly appointed with the University of Guelph. Yang is a theoretical astrophysicist whose areas of expertise are black holes, neutron stars, and gravitational waves, with strong connections to recent observations. In particular, he explores strong-field gravitational astrophysics and fundamental physics with strongly gravitating systems. Yang’s recent work aims to understand physics buried within existing data and provide new insights to guide future observational efforts.

Jon Yard (PhD Stanford University, 2005) joined Perimeter in 2016, jointly appointed with the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Department of Combinatorics and Optimization at the University of Waterloo. He previously held research positions at McGill University (2005), the California Institute of Technology (2005-07), Los Alamos National Laboratory (2007-12), and Microsoft Research (2012-16). Yard’s research interests include quantum information, mathematical physics, quantum fields, and condensed matter. With Graeme Smith, he received the 2009 Pat Goldberg Memorial Best Paper Award from IBM Research for proving that quantum capacity does not completely characterize the utility of a channel for transmitting quantum information.

58 | SENIOR MANAGEMENT Michael Duschenes Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer

Stefan Pregelj James Forrest John Matlock Senior Director of Finance and Operations Director of Academic Programs Director of External Relations and Public Affairs Greg Dick Colin Hunter Executive Director of Advancement Director of Communications Sue Scanlan and Senior Director of Public Engagement and Media Director of Finance

Ben Davies Sheri Keffer Natasha Waxman Director of Information Technology Director of People and Culture Director of Publications, Grants, and Awards

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCHERS, 2019/20 (PhD granting institution)

Ben Albert (University of Pennsylvania) Ian Le (Northwestern University) Alvaro Martin Alhambra (University College London) Felix Leditzky, joint with the Institute for Quantum Computing Masooma Ali (University of New Brunswick) (University of Cambridge) Anurag Anshu, joint with University of Waterloo/Institute for Quantum Adam Lewis (University of Toronto) Computing (National University of Singapore) Xinyu Li, joint with the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Physics Yoni BenTov (University of California, Santa Barbara) (Columbia University) Béatrice Bonga (Pennsylvania State University) Jacob Lin (California Institute of Technology) Jacob Bridgeman (University of Sydney) Zi-Wen Liu (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Rodolfo Capdevilla, joint with University of Toronto Han Ma, Philip W. Anderson Fellow (University of Colorado Boulder) (University of Notre Dame) Mathew Madhavacheril, P.J.E. Peebles Fellow (Stony Brook University) Sylvain Carrozza (Université Paris-Sud) Ashley Milsted (Leibniz University of Hanover) Taboka Chalebgwa (Stellenbosch University) Moritz Munchmeyer (LPNHE Pierre and Marie Curie University) William Cunningham (Northeastern University) Dominik Neuenfeld (University of British Columbia) Meiling Deng (University of British Columbia) Tadashi Okazaki (Osaka University) Richard Derryberry (University of Texas at Austin) Naritaka Oshita (University of Tokyo) Lorenzo Di Pietro (Weizmann Institute of Science) Solomon Owerre (University of Montreal) Galyna Dobrovolska (University of Chicago) Zhen Pan, Yakov B. Zel’dovich Fellow (University of California, Davis) William Donnelly (University of Maryland, College Park) Hakop Pashayan (University of Sydney) Daniel Ignacio Egana-Ugrinovic (Rutgers University) Mark Penney (Oxford University) Job Feldbrugge, joint with Carnegie Mellon University Daniele Pranzetti (Centre de Physique Théorique) (University of Waterloo) Hung-Yi Pu (National Tsing-Hua University) Angelika Fertig (Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics) Petr Pushkar (Columbia University) Zachary Fisher (University of California, Berkeley) Davide Racco (University of Geneva) Simon Foreman, joint with National Research Council Djordje Radicevic (Stanford University) (Stanford University) Fereshteh Rajabi, joint with the Institute for Quantum Computing Tobias Fritz (Max Planck Institute for Mathematics) (Western University) Lena Funcke (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) Jess Riedel (University of California, Santa Barbara) Thomas Galley (University College London) Denis Rosset (University of Geneva, GAP Optique) Federico Galli (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) Ana Belen Sainz (Polytechnic University of Catalonia) Martin Ganahl (Graz University of Technology) John Selby (Imperial College London) Flaminia Giacomini, Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat Fellow Jamie Sikora (Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo) (University of Vienna) Antony Speranza (University of Maryland) Meng Guo (Harvard University) Sebastian Steinhaus (University of Potsdam) Justin Hilburn, joint with the Institute for Quantum Computing Alexandre Streicher (University of California, Santa Barbara) (University of Oregon) Aaron Szasz (University of California, Berkeley) Matthijs Hogervorst (École Normale Supérieure) Kostiantyn Tolmachov (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Junwu Huang (Stanford University) Dave Touchette (University of Montreal) Nick Hunter-Jones (California Institute of Technology) Michael Vasmer, joint with the Institute for Quantum Computing Estelle Inack, Francis Kofi Allotey Fellow (University College London) (International Centre for Theoretical Physics) Alex Weekes (University of Toronto) Michael Jarret (University of Maryland) Sebastian Wetzel, joint with the National Research Council (Institute for Raghav Govind Jha (Syracuse University) Theoretical Physics, Heidelberg University) Theo Johnson-Freyd (University of California, Berkeley) Wolfgang Wieland (Centre de Physique Théorique) Benjamin Knorr (Friedrich Schiller University Jena) Elie Wolfe (University of Connecticut) Aleksander Kubica, joint with the Institute for Quantum Computing Junya Yagi (Rutgers University) (California Institute of Technology) Ziqi Yan (University of California, Berkeley) Stefan Kuhn (Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics) Qiao Zhou (University of California, Berkeley) Meenu Kumari (University of Waterloo) Liujun Zou, John Bardeen Fellow (Harvard University) Ravi Kunjwal (Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai)

| 59 DISTINGUISHED VISITING RESEARCH CHAIRS Scott Aaronson, University of Texas at Austin Renate Loll, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen Mina Aganagic, University of California, Berkeley John March-Russell, University of Oxford Yakir Aharonov, Chapman University Sandu Popescu, University of Bristol Abhay Ashtekar, Pennsylvania State University Maxim Pospelov, University of Minnesota Leon Balents, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics Frans Pretorius, Princeton University James Bardeen, University of Washington Fernando Quevedo, University of Cambridge Ganapathy Baskaran, Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Carlo Rovelli, Université de la Méditerranée – Centre de Chennai physique théorique de Luminy Edo Berger, Harvard University Subir Sachdev, Harvard University Patrick Brady, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Nathan Seiberg, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton Alessandra Buonanno, Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Yan Soibelman, Kansas State University Physics – Albert Einstein Institute Paul Steinhardt, Princeton University John Cardy, University of California, Berkeley Andrew Strominger, Harvard University Lance Dixon, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory Raman Sundrum, University of Maryland Matthew Fisher, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics Gerard ‘t Hooft, Utrecht University Katherine Freese, University of Texas at Austin Barbara Terhal, Delft University of Technology – QuTech Gian Francesco Giudice, European Organization for Nuclear Dam Thanh Son, University of Chicago Research (CERN) Senthil Todadri, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Gabriela González, Louisiana State University Bill Unruh, University of British Columbia Ted Jacobson, University of Maryland Frank Verstraete, Universiteit Gent Shamit Kachru, Stanford University Ashvin Vishwanath, Harvard University David B. Kaplan, University of Washington Mark Wise, California Institute of Technology Adrian Kent, University of Cambridge Alexander Zamolodchikov, Stony Brook University

ACADEMIC PROGRAMS

James Forrest, Director Perimeter Institute and University of Waterloo Professor Forrest joined the University of Waterloo’s faculty in 2000 and became Perimeter’s Academic Programs Director in 2014. He was the Director of the Guelph-Waterloo Physics Institute from 2005 to 2010 and has served in several administrative roles at Waterloo. His research focuses on the physics of soft matter on the nanoscale, particularly polymers and proteins, glass transition in confined geometry, and surface and interfacial properties of polymers. Among his many honours, Forrest is a fellow of the American Physical Society and co-recipient of the 2013 Brockhouse Medal of the Canadian Association of Physicists.

PERIMETER SCHOLARS INTERNATIONAL TEACHING FACULTY, 2019/20

PSI FELLOWS PSI LECTURERS Tibra Ali Latham Boyle, Perimeter Institute Agata Branczyk François David, Institut de Physique Théorique Maité Dupuis William East, Perimeter Institute Ghazal Geshnizjani Davide Gaiotto, Perimeter Institute Lauren Hayward Jaume Gomis, Perimeter Institute Emilie Huffman Daniel Gottesman, Perimeter Institute David Kubiznak Ruth Gregory, Durham University Science Laboratories Aldo Riello Alioscia Hamma, University of Massachusetts Boston Giuseppe Sellaroli Eduardo Martin-Martinez, University of Waterloo Daniel Wohns Kendrick Smith, Perimeter Institute Gang Xu Pedro Vieira, Perimeter Institute

60 | Chong Wang, Perimeter Institute PHD STUDENTS, 2019/20 (partner university, supervisor) Jacob Abajian (University of Waterloo, Pedro Vieira) Hugo Marrochio (University of Waterloo, Robert Myers) Eugene Adjei (University of Waterloo, Agata Branczyk) Fiona McCarthy (University of Waterloo, David Kubiznak/ Alvaro Ballon Bordo (University of Waterloo, David Kubiznak/ Robert Mann) Robert Myers) Sebastian Mizera (University of Waterloo, Bianca Dittrich/ Chenfeng Bao (University of Waterloo, Neil Turok) Freddy Cachazo) Jacob Barnett (University of Waterloo, Lee Smolin) Faroogh Moosavian (University of Waterloo, Davide Gaiotto) Yilber Bautista Chivata (York University, Matthew Soham Mukherjee (University of Waterloo, Erik Schnetter) Johnson/Sean Tulin) Alexander Otto (University of Waterloo, Kevin Costello/Jaume Matthew Beach (University of Waterloo, Roger Melko) Gomis) Sara Bogojevic (McMaster University, Cliff Burgess) Qiaoyin Pan (University of Waterloo, Maité Dupuis) Pablo Bosch Gomez (University of Waterloo, Luis Lehner) Masoud Rafiei-Ravandi (University of Waterloo, Kendrick Smith) Kasia Budzik (University of Waterloo, Davide Gaiotto) Surya Raghavendran (University of Toronto, Kevin Costello) Dylan Butson (University of Toronto, Kevin Costello) Miroslav Rapcak (University of Waterloo, Davide Gaiotto/ Juan Cayuso (University of Waterloo, Matthew Johnson) Jaume Gomis) Ramiro Cayuso (University of Waterloo, Luis Lehner) Matthew Robbins (University of Waterloo, Niayesh Afshordi/ Hong Zhe Chen (University of Waterloo, Robert Myers) Robert Mann) Wan Cong (University of Waterloo, David Kubiznak) Alexander Roman (University of Waterloo, Kendrick Smith/ Niayesh Afshordi) Maxence Corman (University of Waterloo, William East/Niayesh Afshordi) Shan-ming Ruan (University of Waterloo, Robert Myers) Frank Coronado (University of Waterloo, Pedro Vieira) Nitica Sakharwade (University of Waterloo, Lucien Hardy) Diego Delmastro (University of Waterloo, Jaume Gomis) Shenqi Sang (University of Waterloo, Tim Hsieh/Roger Melko) Christian Drago (University of Waterloo, Agata Branczyk) Krishan Saraswat (University of Waterloo, Niayesh Afshordi) Job Feldbrugge (University of Waterloo, Neil Turok) Laura Sberna (University of Waterloo, Neil Turok) Adrian Franco Rubio (University of Waterloo, Guifre Vidal) Andrei Schieber (University of Waterloo, Lucien Hardy) Thomas (T.C.) Fraser (University of Waterloo, Robert Spekkens) Andres Schlief Carvajal (McMaster University, Sung-Sik Lee) Utkarsh Giri (University of Waterloo, Kendrick Smith) David Schmid (University of Waterloo, Robert Spekkens) Anna Golubeva (University of Waterloo, Roger Melko) Barak Shoshany (University of Waterloo, Laurent Freidel) Lucia Gomez Cordova (University of Waterloo, Pedro Vieira) Vasudev Shyam (University of Waterloo, Lee Smolin) Tomas Gonda (University of Waterloo, Robert Spekkens) Nils Simeonsen (University of Waterloo, William East/Luis Lehner) Finnian Gray (University of Waterloo, David Kubiznak/Robert Mann) Barbara Soda (University of Waterloo, Lucien Hardy/Achim Kempf) Alfredo Guevara (University of Waterloo, Freddy Cachazo) Aiden Suter (University of Waterloo, Ben Webster) Juan Hernandez (University of Waterloo, Robert Myers) David Svoboda (University of Waterloo, Laurent Freidel/ Alexandre Homrich (University of Waterloo, Pedro Vieira) Ruxandra Moraru) Florian Hopfmueller (University of Waterloo, Lee Smolin/Robert Paul Tiede (University of Waterloo, Avery Broderick) Myers) Qingwen Wang (University of Waterloo, Niayesh Afshordi) Qi Hu (University of Waterloo, Guifre Vidal) Jingxiang Wu (University of Waterloo, Davide Gaiotto) Nafiz Ishtiaque (University of Waterloo, Jaume Gomis) Lei Yang (University of Waterloo, Anton Burkov) Puttarak Jai-akson (University of Waterloo, Laurent Freidel) Yigit Yargic (University of Waterloo, Lee Smolin) Ding Jia (University of Waterloo, Lucien Hardy) Weicheng Ye (University of Waterloo, Tim Hsieh/Roger Melko) Justin Kulp (University of Waterloo, Davide Gaiotto/Jaume Gomis) Matthew Yu (University of Waterloo, Jaume Gomis) Seth Kurankyi Asanti (University of Waterloo, Bianca Dittrich/ Keyou Zeng (University of Toronto, Kevin Costello) Lee Smolin) Yehao Zhou (University of Waterloo, Kevin Costello) Ji Hoon Le (University of Waterloo, Davide Gaiotto) Yijian Zou (University of Waterloo, Guifre Vidal) Raeez Lorgat (University of Toronto, Kevin Costello) Ruochen Ma (University of Waterloo, Yin-Chen He) Amalia Madden (University of Waterloo, Asimina Arvanitaki)

| 61 MASTER’S STUDENTS, 2019/20 (country of origin)

PERIMETER SCHOLARS INTERNATIONAL MASTER’S RESEARCH Cristian Ardelean (Canada) Alicia Lima (Cape Verde) STUDENTS Shuwei Liu (China) Elizabeth Bennewitz (United States) Yanyan Li (China) Ivan Burbano Aldana (Colombia) Maria Julia Maristany (Argentina) Yushao Chen (China) Sheryl Mathew (India) Wan Zhen Chua (Malaysia) Maryam Mudassar (Pakistan) Jeremy Cote (Canada) Jonas Neuser (Germany) Ghislaine Coulter-de Wit (United States) Gloria Odak (Croatia) Benjamin De Bruyne (Belgium) Rick Perche (Brazil) Haoxing Du (China) Dalila Pirvu (Romania) Remi Faure (France) Anniela Melissa Rodriquez Zarate (Mexico) Navya Gupta (India) Joshua Sandor (Canada) Ian Holst (United States) Bruno Torres (Brazil) Nikhil Kalyanapuram (United States) Beata Zjawin (Poland)

CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS, 2019/20

Boundaries and Defects in Quantum Field Theory Symmetry, Phases of Matter, August 6-9, 2019 and Resources in Quantum Computing November 26-29, 2019 Dynamics and Black Hole Imaging August 12-23, 2019 Indefinite Causal Structure December 9-13, 2019 Cosmological Frontiers in Fundamental Physics 2019 September 3-6, 2019 Elliptic Cohomology and Physics May 25-28, 2020 Simplicity III September 9-12, 2019 Geometric Representation Theory June 22-26, 2020 Gravitational Waves Outside the Boxes October 23-25, 2019 Quantum Gravity 2020 July 13-17, 2020 Everpresent Lambda: Theory Meets Observations November 11-15, 2019

Emmy Noether Workshop: The Structure of Quantum Space Time November 18-22, 2019

ACADEMIC SPONSORSHIPS, 2019/20 Perimeter Institute was a proud sponsor of the following international conferences and workshops held elsewhere across Canada. A number of other sponsorships were awarded, but due to COVID-19, some events have been postponed. Perimeter will honour any affected sponsorships.

Lepton Photon Interactions Holography Workshop Toronto, Ontario Goderich, Ontario August 5-10, 2019 February 3-7, 2020

Canadian Conference for Undergraduate Women in Lake Louise Winter Institute 2020 Physics 2020 Lake Louise, Alberta Toronto, Ontario February 9-14, 2020 January 17-19, 2020

Photo credits

Adobe Stock: pp. 15, 18 I Tom Arban: pp. 38, 45 | EPFL: p. 13 | Scott Norsworthy: inside back cover | Gabriela Secara: pp. 6, 8–26, 28-32, 36-37, 47, front cover

62 | THANKS TO THE VISIONARIES

WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS, INCLUDING:

MIKE LAZARIDIS, FOUNDER

PUBLIC PARTNERS

GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

GOVERNMENT OF ONTARIO

REGION OF WATERLOO

CITY OF WATERLOO

AND

PERIMETER’S GROWING  NETWORK OF PRIVATE PARTNERS  AND SUPPORTERS WORLDWIDE

For a list of Perimeter’s private supporters, see

www.perimeterinstitute.ca/support-perimeter or refer to page 42. 64 |